Episode 11 — The Code That Keeps Satellites Alive with Ioannis Trichakis

How do you write code for a machine you can never physically touch — one travelling at 26,000 km/h, hundreds of kilometres above your head?

In this episode of The Space Curious Podcast, host Arn Terry sits down with Ioannis Trichakis, Principal Software Engineer at Alén Space, to decode the invisible world of satellite software — the code that keeps multi-million-dollar missions alive.

What we discussed:

• How satellite software mimics the human body — eyes, heart, brain and all
• Why satellites only get three 10-minute contact windows per day — and what that means for software design
• FDIR — how satellites detect, isolate, and recover from faults autonomously
• The SDR revolution — satellites that can be reprogrammed from Earth like apps on your phone
• Cybersecurity in orbit — why it's now a spacecraft fundamental, not an afterthought
• AI in orbit — where it's already happening, and where humans must never let go of the wheel
• Careers in space software — how someone went from knowing nothing about space to leading an entire space agency's software programme
• Myth busting — the truths and misconceptions about space tech

Whether you're a curious mind, a budding engineer, or someone wondering if there's a career in space for you — this one's going to light a fire.

Guest: Ioannis Trichakis — Principal Software Engineer, Alén Space
Connect with Ioannis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ioannis-trichakis-150924b0/
Connect with Arn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnterry/
Host: Arn Terry — The Space Curious Podcast
Space and aerospace recruitment: https://danielernest.com/de-orbit