“It is not said that a man must be born or die in the same place. And if I had been born in Rome instead of Messina, I would have had the same will because the world is big and you have to know it. I am sure I have had many experiences with my beloved panda, the only traveling companion to whom I have dedicated a beautiful song.”
From Messina to the German headquarters of the European Space Agency in Darmstadt, the construction step has been desired for forty-nine years Giancarlo Alessi, an electronic engineer and a “buddace” from Messina, because he himself likes to jokingly introduce himself and take a name that the people of Messina know well and doesn’t really belong to him given his background. The Sicilian professional did not want to think about himself and be convinced of what was to come. “I studied electronic engineering in Messina, and then a completely new college, – he says – but I must say that I have always been fascinated by different places and cultures, and at a very young age I felt that my city, which I still love, was very close to me. Even after the laws five years I got another degree from Budapest University of Technology and Economics But first I must say that I really did everything. Erasmus at that time was really in its infancy, but despite this, he managed to do it, put other foreign experiences in the baggage and went to look for them because there was a great desire to do so. Even my letter took me to Munich and when I called my supervisor to tell her about it, she, too, burst into laughter.”
Curriculum at CERN
Giancarlo was a determined young man and after graduation he understood more that he wanted to work in an international environment that impressed him from a scientific point of view: “At first I decided, as I recommend to all the boys, to aim for high goals. And I sent my resume to CERN, the European Space Agency, and in any case to well-known research institutes at the European level. And I still remember as if it was yesterday the moment the call came from the European Space Agency. It was September and I was at Romita with my old friends. At first they offered me a six-month research project, which was paid very little by the way, but I was not disappointed in the least. And besides, I was glad that in the end my degree was a stepping stone rather than an access, but at the end of what I call a six-month interview they decided to hire me.”
The magic of antennas
Our illustrious compatriot works in a particular sector, dealing with the gigantic instrumentation that is used to control missions within the solar system: “The mine is a very cool job – as he defines it – for an electronics engineer who has studied a lot of physics. I chose engineering school out of passion rather than necessity. In fact, my activity gives me The opportunity to be able to apply most of my studies, even the most theoretical ones, unlike most of my colleagues who get stuck programming in front of a computer. I deal with antennas, specifically deep space antennas, which are often shown on TV, which the agency uses to support missions like Mars Express or Rosetta, to name a few. We should not think of these antennas as being like a house, because they are actually huge structures. The plate alone is 35 meters in diameter and inside the main body there are all kinds of technological demons. We currently have 3, one in Australia, one in Spain and finally one in Argentina, and one is in the pipeline.”
Giancarlo Alessi has lived out of business since 2005, but his bag is always ready in reality. Or maybe he was always in the corner, close at hand. Among the regular activities he can’t do are water the plants regularly or buy a dog.
Romita Shelter
On the other hand, Romita remains the refuge of the heart where he returns every time he wants to recharge himself among the salty, sun, sea and beautiful sunsets. Instead, he recommends young dissatisfied: “I feel lucky – and it is concluded – but I can say that Unlike my colleagues, I always aimed for high goals And I tried to understand how life is going here with a lot of fun too. That is why I recommend everyone to go on a language learning journey as well. Because this enriches the curriculum more than other experiments. And then, oftentimes, pathways can be opened with encounters that can change the professional future and beyond.”
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