Date: 8 October
Hour: 10 a.m.
Venue: Great Hall, Técnico – Alameda campus

How does a satellite work?

How does my mobile phone know where I am? How do we know if it will be sunny or rainy tomorrow? How can we communicate with ships on the high seas? Thousands of satellites orbiting the Earth support our daily activities. But how does a satellite work?

On 8 October 2025, at 10 a.m., live at Técnico – Alameda campus, we will be joined by João Paulo Monteiro, researcher at the Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR Lisboa) and visiting assistant professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, who will answer these questions.

Biography

João Paulo Monteiro is a researcher at the Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR Lisboa) and a visiting assistant professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, where he completed his master’s and doctoral degrees. He conducts research at IST NanosatLab, where he focuses on developing small satellite technologies. He was one of the coordinators of the ISTSat-1 project, which culminated in the launch and operation of Portugal’s first university satellite.

About the Programme

“Explain it like I’m 5 – Science talks at Técnico for curious children and adults”, is designed for young people, opening a door to get to know Técnico research and to ask our scientists a question.

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