In St. Peter’s Square in 2020, when humanity faced the most severe phase of the pandemic, the satellite carrying the nanobook left the Vanderberg base in California with words of hope from the Pope. Once in orbit, the CubeSat built by the Polytechnic of Turin will transmit some message of the Pope’s faith, which can be picked up by radio amateurs around the world.
Michele Raviart – Vatican City
A word of faith may be infinitely small, but it can reach anyone and go anywhere, even into space. And that’s what happened on Monday this year at 11:19 p.m. (Italian time), from the Vandenberg Space Station in California, when Francis delivered the pope’s words to unite humanity in the face of the pandemic. A rain-soaked St. Peter’s Square on March 27, 2020, was launched into Earth orbit and stored on a nanobook and satellite.
A team work
Satellites of Faith, ‘Guardian of the Faith’ is the name of the space mission, which was promoted by the Holy See’s Department of Communications, coordinated by the Italian Space Agency and in which the National Research Center participated, which created the Nanobook, Mechanical and Aerospace Department. Engineering students from the Polytechnic of Turin, who built the satellite, and the Salesian University Institute of Venice, designed the event’s logo. The IDCGE of Buenos Aires also participated, while the pastoral and cultural coordination of the work was entrusted to the Digital Apostolate of Turin.
Pope’s words in a few millimeters
The NanoBook, developed by the CNR’s Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnology, is a small silicon tablet that contains the Pope’s message and images. World station 2020, “Why do you fear, and yet have no faith?”, by the Libraria Editris Vaticana. Collected in the book.
Translating Francisco’s words into a series of “0” and “1” was a forced choice, as it was impossible to adapt traditional print fonts to such reduced dimensions. To give an idea, each hole engraved with the letter “1” — the “0” remains a blank space — is less than one-thousandth the thickness of a human hair.
Satellite launch details
CubeSat 3U is the type of satellite designed in five months by the Polytechnic of Turin that will have a nanobook inserted into it and sent into space. It is a parallel tube measuring 34x10x10 centimeters and weighing nearly three kilograms. Inside, apart from the Nanobook, there are two on-board computers, a battery, sensors for measurements, small magnets for positioning and two ultra-high frequency UHF communication systems. The latter, through two antennas, will transmit some of the messages of faith that Pope Francis gave during his teaching and can be picked up by radio amateurs from all over the world.
The Pope’s word every time the sun rises
After launch, the satellite with high-tech systems, blessed by Pope Francis on March 29, reached space with the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and will be located at 525 thanks to the ion orbital transfer vehicle of the Italian company D-ORBIT. Kilometers above the Earth can fly over every point on the Earth’s surface in sync with the Sun’s rotation and at the same local solar time. Each time it rises, those connected to the 437.5 Mhz frequency will find comfort and encouragement on the path to faith.
A commitment to kindness
Also, the name of those who registered on the official website Satellites of Faith It will be placed on an additional chip carried by the satellite. Hundreds of them have pledged to do the work of mercy on earth. Maria, from Mexico, for example, displays messages of peace in her shop. Andrea, a 17-year-old student from the United States, will write a letter thanking her teachers for their love and dedication, while Father Renato from Italy promises to help young people express their wisdom. Respect and Empathy on the Internet. Given its success, it can also be recorded after launch, and names can be remotely written to a memory chip from the ground control station.
Dream of Space “Fratelli Tutti”
“Pope Francis’ message in space is a sign and image of tenderness and blessing for the world,” explained Father Lucio Adrien Ruiz, Secretary of the Dicastery and creator of the entire project. Satellites of Faith.
“Today, this project has become a reality as many organizations and people have decided to come together to form a team. The immensity of space always makes us dream, and today we all hope to dream together. We pray for the return of peace to the world. This unity and this unity. I take that as a first big win and a sign of hope,” he reiterated. For us,’All the brothers‘”.
task Satellites of Faith “It is a great example of how the peaceful use of technology can contribute to creating a shared culture of peace and trust among people,” said Silvia Natalucci, head of the Italian space agency.
For CNR chief researcher Andrea Notargiacomo, the initiative represents a “unique combination of science, technology, culture and faith, demonstrating how the interaction between different skills, ideas and thoughts can create strong innovations and at the same time be a valuable source of human and social enrichment”. “We will have the opportunity to increase our knowledge in both technology and science, and contribute to spreading the word of hope for our future,” said Sabrina Carpino, who guided the Polytechnic students in making the satellite.
A gesture of brotherhood and trust
Full task, we study On the official website Satellites of Faith, “a strong, persuasive, universal, frozen gesture that calls humanity to faith and nurtures it with tangible, material or spiritual gestures like the one the Pope made in that empty square.” It is a testament to how effective the relationship between science, technology and faith can be, as well as the number of people who have collaborated with the Pope in the project, especially the young people. The mission also responds to the need for “a strong call for a symbol of peace, brotherhood, and sharing in times of war.” “A technology,” we read again, “code, that is the seed of hope.”
Arctic mission to Svalbard in 2022
In this sense, the work that took place in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago in 2022, 1,200 kilometers from the North Pole, should also be considered, in which a delegation included Lucio Adrien Ruiz, secretary and creator of the Dicastery for Communication. Full plan Satellites of Faith, he went to the World Bank, which stores seeds of plants from around the world, to deposit Pope’s nanobook. Even from words, fruits can sprout.
