Mission Future: at the Fucino Space Centre with Chiara and Gloria

07 February 2023

We have reached the fifth stage of Mission Future, and meet Chiara Marchionne and Gloria Di Giovambattista, who accompany us to Telespazio's Fucino Space Centre (Ortucchio - L'Aquila), where in-orbit control activities of satellites and telecommunications are carried out. They tell us about their work with satellites, grappling with data, operational mission simulations and navigation messages.

In this fifth leg of the journey, Chiara, Space System Operation Engineer – GEO tells us that, immediately after graduating in Space and Astronautical Engineering in Rome, she started working in the Satellite Systems and Operations branch, where she currently monitors the positioning of satellites being launched into orbit, interfacing with international and European bodies, including the European Space Agency (ESA). Every day, from the Centre's Main Control Room, simulations are carried out of the possible operational scenarios from the moment the satellite separates from the carrier rocket until it reaches its final orbital position.

Gloria, Galileo Control Centre Operations Engineer, a graduate in Mechanical Engineering, has worked at Telespazio for 14 years. Today, she is a mission engineer for the European global navigation satellite system Galileo. The constellation allows us to use navigation, positioning and timing services reliably and accurately, involving no less than 28 satellites arranged in three orbital planes.

Chiara and Gloria's skills, combined with the advanced technologies they work with on a daily basis, contribute in some way to bringing Space closer to Earth and improving the services offered to the community.

Follow all the next stages of Mission Future, a real journey to discover the most innovative professions and the different contexts of the Leonardo Group.