The director’s take: telling Galileo’s story through film

4 min read · reported by ESA

In 2025, to celebrate thirty years of satellite navigation in Europe, the European Space Agency (ESA) commissioned a documentary to capture the history of Galileo, Europe’s satellite navigation system. Finding Our Way: Inside the Galileo Project will premiere on YouTube on 15 October 2026 at 18:30 CEST. Here, we sit down with Design & Data’s Johannes Walden, who directed the documentary.

The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

How did you first get into filmmaking?

Back in school, a friend introduced me to editing and filmmaking with a simple camcorder. We recreated our favourite movies, and since the 90s, the equipment has become more and more accessible, which helped make this passion feasible.

How did you become interested in space as a filmmaker?

When the Rosetta probe landed on Comet 67P in 2014, there was a whole segment about it on the news, and I was intrigued by who made all these animations. That's how I got the space bug. My interest in making complex scientific missions understandable and visually compelling led me to Design & Data, where I can bring together my interest in storytelling, design and space.

How do you turn a technical topic like satellite navigation into a film narrative?

Though it is a technical centrepiece for a film, Galileo is more than that. There are lots of emotions connected to navigation: the comfort of connection, the freedom of movement, the independence when we manoeuvre. Whether we admit it or not, our world is based on a few key technologies, and satellite navigation is one of them. With this perspective in mind, the concept of the film is quite simple.

We structured the story broadly in three parts. First, we look back at the historical and political context in which satellite navigation and eventually Galileo emerged. The second part focuses on making Galileo a reality, including the technical, political and organisational challenges involved and what it took to build an independent European navigation system. Finally, we look at where Galileo stands today and where satellite navigation is heading next. This gives the film a clear journey from its origins, to the present and into the future.

What were some of the challenges of making this documentary?

We interviewed nearly 20 people for the documentary, all of whom were high-level individuals with busy schedules. A lot of flexibility and changes to plans were necessary. I changed my mindset from a rigid storyboard and shooting plan to a more flexible and creative approach.

What surprised you most during production?

The experts were all really relaxed people to talk to. I imagined it would be technical at times or too theoretical. But they did an excellent job of staying on point and being open to my questions, to the process of filming and to outsiders trying to grasp what their job entails.

Were there any special or new techniques used for this film?

We had a lot of recent footage from the ESA archives, but the further we went back in time, the sparser the footage became. What we had, though, were hundreds of photos. During production, the AI revolution was gaining momentum, which helped us enhance some of the photos we had or turn them into short videos to make them work for the screen.

How do you think Galileo Galilei, the namesake of the Galileo constellation, would react to modern satellite navigation?

I once read that advanced technology appears to someone from the past as magic. I think that is what Galileo would feel if he were brought into our time and saw the constellation working.

What is something you took away from learning about the history of European satellite navigation?

It seems to me that independence is one of the key ideas of European technology in the future. Even more surprising is that the Galileo constellation was implemented at a time when the world was working much more closely together. But recent events and the implementation of this constellation made me see collaboration and freedom in a different light.

What do you hope audiences take away from the documentary?

That technology in space is not a waste of taxpayer money, as some people say. Everything we do in space helps us in our daily lives, and without infrastructure like this, our world would not be the same. To me, it’s fascinating to see what’s behind the curtain and how our world actually functions, and I hope the viewers can appreciate that, too.

Watch the premiere of Finding our way: Inside the Galileo Project on ESA’s YouTube on 15 October 2026 at 18:30 CEST.

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Published by the European Space Agency. View the original →