Sandro Scalise graduated in Electronic Engineering specialising in Telecommunications (with honours) from University of Ferrara, Italy in 1997. In 2007, he received his PhD (summa cum laude) from University of Vigo, Spain.

Since 2001, he is within the Institute of Communications and Navigation, DLR (German Aerospace Centre), Germany, where, from October 2004 to June 2008, he has been leading the Mobile Satellite Systems Group. Since July 2008, he is leading the Satellite Networks Department. His department deals with the conception, design and demonstration of new satellite systems.

He is IEEE Senior Member and received the "Satellite Communications Distinguished Service Award" from IEEE ComSoc in 2013. Since 2016 he is also lecturing "Satellite Communications" at the Technical University of Munich.

He is co-author of more than 70 international journal and conference papers, co-chairman of the biennial Advanced Satellite Multimedia Systems Conference since the 2006 edition and has been active in many standardisation groups within DVB and ETSI.