What you need to know about an unusual literary project
The Holy See will send a nanobook into space this June. A way for the Vatican to spread the message of hope addressed to the world on March 27, 2020 in the heart of the Covid-19 pandemic on a planetary scale.
Prayers to Pope Francis in space. This is the goal of the mission Spei Satellites (SpeiSat) which will put a small satellite into orbit, containing a nanobook titled Why are you so afraid? Don’t you have faith yet? Inspired by the Pope’s letter Orbis station) dated March 27, 2020, shared during the Covid-19 pandemic. It will leave Earth on June 10, 2023, loaded with a Falcon 9 rocket, which will launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, United States.
SpeiSat will work In low Earth orbit at an altitude of about 525 km. space mission Spee satelliteswhich can be translated as “moon of hope”, But which means in latin “Guardian of Hope”, Says the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore RomanoAnd Monsignor Lucio Adrian Ruiz, Secretary of the Directorate of Communications, was announced on March 27.
The Italian Space Agency is coordinating the mission with the help of Bob’s words To cross the earth’s borders (to me) To reach from space the largest possible number of women and men who are in difficulty on our planet. President Giorgio Sacochea said in Vatican press release (Link in Englishs). And this is how Spei Satelles intends To carry the message and the call (to hope) coined By the sovereign pope of humanity, we expound to the Holy See. Pope Francis will bless the satellite and the nanobook it carries on May 29, before final technical modifications. In the meantime, here’s what we know about this literary and spatial adventure.
Why a message from the Pope in space?
The space mission was created to commemorate and amplify the prayer that Pope Francis presided over in the forecourt of St. Peter’s Basilica on March 27, 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Pope Francis went up to St. Peter’s Square in Rome, alone, in the rain, in the dark of the evening, to pray with and for all humanity affected by the coronavirus,” We mention on the mission website. “That moment has remained etched in our memories and hearts, forever and in history, and has become an icon Hope.”
From book to nanobook
The Pope’s message gave rise to a work entitled why are you afraid? Don’t you have faith? Published in 2021. According to L’Osservatore RomanoAnd The book has been printed in 150,000 copies in seven languages. after a year, A “miniature” edition (10 x 8 cm) of the baptized book The seed of hope (the seed of hope), deposited in Svalbard Global Seed Vault (Svalbard Global Seed Vault) on the Norwegian island of Spitberg. Thanks to the National Research Council (CNR) of Italy, theThe text is now a nanobook, ie Pictures, speeches and readings of the moment of prayer celebrated by Pope Francis on March 27, 2020Patterned on a 2x2x0.2 mm silicone plate. Because it is impossible to print it “on Very little support, it was necessary to use a “token” : The digital contents of the paper book were translated via binary code.. This concentration of technology travels in space thanks to a small satellite, the 3U CubeSat.
space mission
Spei Satelles (SpeiSat) weighs less than 3 kg and its dimensions are as follows: 34 x 10 x 10 cm. Outside, it is covered with solar panels that produce the electricity it needs to function. Besides a nanobook and a file With all the messages of hope that spread throughout his journey.SpeiSat contains two on-board computers, two UHF band communication systems, an energy storage battery, and a magnet.to install the satellite after launch. So are the probes.
signal for youth
Spee satels is “The project that in its originality makes the smallest dream”, Can we read on the mission website. Young people who can be found at several stages of the project. Especially in the technical part. The CubeSat was made by students, under the supervision of Professor Sabrina Corpino, of Politecnico di Torino.
We all need hope, especially young peoplesummed up the Archbishop of Turin Roberto Ripoll. Maintaining hope is the mission of this satellite designed and built by young people. It is narrated by the youth in the mission motto; It is inhabited – we hope – by many young people who wish to communicate with the Pope, through the site, to sow hope and fraternity in the place where they live.
global adventure
Spei Satelles wants to be a participatory and interplanetary adventure. Not only will the site make it possible to follow the satellite’s flight, but it will also provide its name “fly around the earth” Thanks for this space flight. The proposal is as follows and specifically targets young people: “Becoming a Guardian of Hope with Pope Francis”. Those who wish to do so must complete a form available on the website and commit “To do a good deed on earth, to spread hope and brotherhood.” They will receive a boarding pass but first of all write their name on a chip that will be on board the SpeiSat.
Also, in space, the satellite will transmit a radio signal that can be easily picked up “simple equipment”, confirms the project site. will contain Follower Messages of hope from the Pope.
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