Meet Donato Brusamento: crafting the code behind Apogeo Space’s satellites

In our sixth edition of the "AS People" series, we spoke with Donato Brusamento, the Lead Embedded Engineer at Apogeo Space. Donato offers a glimpse into his role in developing firmware for our satellites, shares his passion for the aerospace sector and discusses the challenges he faces in his daily work.

Can you briefly describe your role at Apogeo Space and what initially drew you to this sector?

My role at Apogeo Space is Lead Embedded Engineer, which means my contribution to the technical team revolves around planning features and writing firmware for the satellites and related devices, developing test software, coordinating collaborators, and interfacing mainly with electronic and system engineers regarding the overall design process.

The firmware/software for the satellites is mainly targeted towards microcontrollers that drive every onboard function, so a lot of attention is directed towards making the code very predictable, robust, and able to recover from unforeseen circumstances.

I decided to steer my career towards this sector for two main reasons: a fascination with space missions themselves and the need to explore more regulated and rigorous environments to work in.

How has your role evolved over the years and what have been some of the key learning experiences?

Coming from a robotic/industrial-focused background, I initially tried my hand in research and mechatronic development, and then I pivoted my career path towards embedded engineering, as I'm deeply captivated by the overall field. All of the different positions I've worked in have provided valuable lessons and good memories, but definitely, working previously at another startup and doing research work gave me a huge leg up in having a more fleshed-out approach to problem-solving.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your role and how do you approach solving them?

I'd say the biggest hurdles are split between those purely technical and the ones that lie outside the boundaries of mere practicalities. On one hand, designing and developing software/firmware in the aerospace industry is subject to a lot more scrutiny than other sectors, thus making the overall process much more pragmatic and careful; this is often exacerbated by the embedded nature of the target. On the other hand, interfacing with other teams regarding software requirements often means trying to interpret other people’s needs and ideas, and when hardware and software meet, misunderstandings can arise. This highlights the importance of being sympathetic and supportive with your peers and the need to establish a common ground upon which trust and growth can be found.

Donato's role at Apogeo Space showcases the critical importance of precise, robust and reliable software in the aerospace industry. As the world of space technology continues to evolve, engineers like Donato play a main role in pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Stay tuned for more insights from our team in future editions of AS People.