In the Electricity elective offered by Professor Francisco Paez in fourth grade, Luis José Salazar Serrano discovered his vocation. After receiving his high school diploma in 1999, he entered the Universidad de los Andes where he studied Physics and Electronic Engineering. Late on, he completed a PhD in Physics and, in 2011, he received a scholarship to pursue a PhD in Photonics at the ICFO – Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona, Spain.
He has always felt a special attraction for the wonders of outer space. He is a fan of the movie Apollo 13, which, he says, he has seen about a thousand times and always gets excited with the scene where the launching of the aircraft is seen.
This motivation for space led him to work at Aistech Space, in Barcelona, Spain, as a leader in the development of the MST (Multispectral Telescope), which today is revolutionizing the information humanity has about space.
Last year he received a proposal from Spire Global UK, in Glasgow, Scotland, to lead a project that is practically unique worldwide. This is very meaningful for the professional life of Luis José, who says: “This is like going from a low or mid-table team to playing with the champion of Europe”.
Salazar accepted the offer and is currently working on a system that allows several satellites to communicate using light instead of radio frequency. It’s like going from connecting to the Internet using the telephone line to a fiber optic connection. This is an exciting project that is progressing very quickly. On June 30, the first system was launched to begin testing.
Undoubtedly, Luis José is an alumnus who is succeeding and who longs to share his knowledge and experiences with young people. When he comes to Bogotá he will be invited to talk to the students.
