How to enhance travel through satellite technology

10. July 2023

In this interview, we talk to Stefano Umberto Menini, an Italian Satellite and Ground Segment Engineer with a passion for space exploration and travel. Stefano shares his insights on the use of satellite navigation technology in travel, how it has made travel safer and easier, and how it has affected our social interactions. He also talks about his biggest travel dream and how he sees the future of satellite navigation technology and travelling.

“…we also risk our freedom. Because when we orient ourselves on Maps, we don’t only receive data. We also send data about our location, which is available out there.”
— Stefano

Hi Stefano, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you entered the space sector?

I’m Italian from Rome, with Cypriot origins. I have an international family background and speak many different languages at different levels. I love travelling the world.

Since I was a child, the universe has always fascinated me. It was my dream to be part of human and robotic missions to the moon and mars, in deep space and beyond. That’s why I studied aerospace engineering.

Stefano at ESA-Estec in the Netherlands during his 2^nd-level specializing Master in Space in 2017

You worked for GALILEO in Germany for some years. Could you briefly explain what GALILEO is?

GALILEO is a civilian Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) by the EU through ESA (European Space Agency). It provides high-precision global positioning services (GPS). Thanks to GALILEO, the EU is independent from the US GPS and Russian GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System). It’s more precise than the US GPS, because it provides positioning within one meter. It also supports the Support and Rescue function.

Earth from space, credit: PIRO4D – Pixabay

How do travelers in Europe use GALILEO, maybe without even knowing?

Everyone uses GPS already, it’s quite precise worldwide. In Europe, the new devices are able to take the GALILEO signal. When we discover cities and don’t get lost because we use GPS on the phone, it’s thanks to satellite technology. When we check our current location on the screens in fast trains for example, this data is retrieved from satellites. We already use it in many ways.

How can we better use GPS to enrich our travel experience?

Stefano kneeing in front of a dromedar in the Merzouga desert — Stefano in Merzouga desert, Morocco in 2023

There are many location-based applications on our smartphones, which help travelling. The most widely used app is maybe Google Maps. For example for hiking, you can use apps like Outdooractive to choose itineraries and navigate through the mountains. At night, Sky Maps helps detect the constellation of stars. For food explorations, The Fork is widely used in Italy to find, book and get discounts in restaurants. Parking apps like MooneyGo in Rome, Italy or HandyParken in Munich, Germany make life easier for drivers. And if you don’t have a car, you can find shared cars on ShareNow (in many countries) and Enjoy (only in Italy) or find a taxi on Uber, Grab or Blablacar.

How do you see the future of satellite navigation technology and travelling?

Stefano with a camera in front of a stone wall in Angkor Wot — Stefano in Angkor Wat, Cambodia in 2023

Satellite navigation technology is already quite well developed and advanced. It has made travelling much safer and easier compared to the past when we had to use paper maps.

On the other hand of course, we’ve all become less social because we don’t need other people anymore to find our way. And in some way, we also risk our freedom. Because when we orient ourselves on Maps, we don’t only receive data. We also send data about our location, which is available out there. So, it depends how the political and economic entities and other actors decide to use this technology.

What’s your biggest travel dream?

Stefano under water in a neopren suit breathing through an oxygen bottle in front of a ship wreck — Stefano during a dive in Zenobia wreck, Cyprus in 2022

I would love to travel to space as an astronaut and see the Earth from above. A mission to Moon and Mars would be the ultimate project eventually.

Of course, it’s a dream. Therefore, at the moment I would be really happy to visit as many countries and places as possible of this planet. So far, I reached 47 countries.

Thanks for the interview, Stefano!

Stefano got a YouTube channel where he shares his travel impressions, it’s called StefMen: click here to watch and follow him!

You’ll find more inspiring individuals and insights under People & Perspectives. Let me know your ideas in the comments who to feature here next!

Comments

Stefano says

11. July 2023 at 1:48

Thanks a lot Isi for this amazing opportunity you gave me to exchange about travelling and space!:)
I had this nice chance to meet not only an amazing traveller like you but also a special person.
Amazing blog, keep on going and… exploring!:D
Stefano

Reply
- Isi says
  
  20. July 2023 at 15:24
  
  Thanks for participating in this blog, Stefano! I’m looking forward to your travel reports from earth or maybe even from further away in the future. 🙂
  
  Reply
simplyjolayne says

21. July 2023 at 17:26

His quote, „We’ve all become less social because we don’t need other people anymore to find our way.“ certainly gives us something to think about moving forward as travelers. Take time to connect with people!

Reply
- Isi says
  
  24. July 2023 at 23:53
  
  I totally agree. Travelling becomes so much more enriching when you talk to the people around you.
  
  Reply
Sabine says

24. July 2023 at 16:47

Interesting read! Now I actually understand what some of my Garmin wearable settings mean: I can choose between GPS + GLONASS, GPS + GALILEO or just GPS, and I never knew what those combinations referred to until now.
My favorite GPS device for traveling is definitely my wearable because it can guide me on a pre-defined route, record my path, show me a map of my surroundings including points of interest, or just help me roughly move towards something that looked interesting from far away without knowing it’s name or address thanks to its compass functions. I also love not having to have my phone in hand all the time.
My biggest concern about all these practical tools is that they can convey a wrong sense of safety. However fancy your equipment, I strongly advocate for having a back up of actual paper maps including the ability to use them. There will come a trip when you are all out of battery, there is no wifi, and you still want to be able to get a sense of orientation.

Reply
- Isi says
  
  24. July 2023 at 23:43
  
  Thanks for the additional thought, Bine! I hadn’t thought of wearables yet. But of course, they’re so handy. Yours made hiking through the Limestone Alps really fun again last month!
  I guess we both don’t trust technology completely, which I personally find healthy. Nevertheless, I realise that technology has become normal, I often rely on it much more than I probably should. But it simply makes life so much easier!
  
  Reply
  - Sabine says
    
    31. July 2023 at 10:40
    
    I also don’t want to miss it. I basically plan all my trips using GPS data. I think it’s perfectly fine to rely on it when it’s available – it’s convenient and it’s often accurate enough.
    What made me comment is that recently an Instagrammer popped up in my timeline talking about how they crossed the alps with no compass and no paper maps in their backpack. It’s unfathomable to me that you would do a 4 week hike relying on your phone entirely. I was brought up by old-fashioned orienteerers who taught me how to read maps and use a compass to get oriented when I was still a small kid. Only later I realized that these are not common skills. I think, being able to master both would be the best scenario. Not only would we understand better what we are looking at on our devices, we would also be able to take correct decisions when we get lost. Just like with any technology, never forget to think for yourself. Being glued to only GPS switches off our mind’s „mental map“, where we try to memorize our surroundings, instead relying completely on the navi.
    On top of that, we have to be aware of possible pitfalls: outdated GPS data, bad weather, altitude differences (GPS does not usually tell you how steep your trip will be), if it’s a safe neighbourhood you’re venturing into. In the worst cases, people get hurt. The saddest example I have read is the case of the lady that wanted to go to the beach in Rio de Janeiro, followed her GPS app right into a favela and met her end there.
    None of these problems come from GPS/GLONASS/Galileo itself, but from how blindly we use it. We all need to develop a strong habit of asking questions, so we can benefit from the possibilities technology opens up for us to a maximum.
    
    Reply
gelnique con o sin receta en España says

14. November 2023 at 10:26

I like the valuable information you provide in your articles.
I’ll bookmark your blog and check again here regularly. I am quite certain I will learn plenty of new stuff right here!
Best of luck for the next!

Reply
- Isi says
  
  19. November 2023 at 19:02
  
  Thank you for your kind feedback. Please feel free to subscribe to my newsletter to become part of our travel community. I’ll eventually give monthly updates with my latest explorations and recommendations.
  
  Reply
Kathryn says

14. November 2023 at 20:17

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Reply
- Isi says
  
  19. November 2023 at 18:56
  
  Thank you for your kind appreciation, Kathryn. I’d be happy to see you in my newsletter community where I’ll eventually give regular updates with links to the latest news around my blog, travelling and culture.
  
  Reply