Let's make this birthday one to remember.

78 years old (Born on October 10, 1946)

Happy birthday, Franco Malerba! Ever since you soared through space as Italy's cosmic pioneer aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, you’ve proven gravity can't hold down your incredible star-power. Even planets orbiting Earth gossip how you're still "out-of-this-world!"

Here's hoping your birthday is filled with laughter and joy—after all, anyone who experiments in microgravity knows a thing or two about floating fun. May this year bring more brilliant adventures (ground-based ones allowed too), lots of laughs that defy physics—and cake delicious enough to launch taste buds into orbit!

Stay stellar—we'll always look up... because that's where you've been!