March 28, 2023 / 5:57 am
The words of Pope Francis will reach space via a rocket that will take off from the Vandenberg Space Base (California, United States), on June 10.
As reported by the Vatican, the Holy Father will bless on Wednesday, March 29, the miniature satellite that will travel into space and that contains a book that documents the historic blessing. The city and the world made by the Pope on March 27, 2020.
Nicknamed as “Satellites of hope” (Satellite of Hope, in Latin), intends to recall the message of hope that the Pontiff sent in the midst of the COVID pandemic, when he blessed the world from Saint Peter’s Square with the words “Lord, bless the world, give health to our bodies and comfort our hearts.”
“You ask us not to be afraid,” the Pope continued. “However, our faith is weak and we are afraid. But You, Lord, will not leave us at the mercy of the storm.
These words will reach space as a “nanobook” entitled “Why are you afraid? Don’t you have faith? The world in the face of the pandemic”, made up of a 2-millimeter by 0.2-millimeter silicon plate for possible transportation.
The Vatican specified that this miniature satellite, also known as “CubeSat”, has been built by the Polytechnic University of Turin (Italy) and It will be managed by the Italian Space Agency, which will send it into space aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
For his part, the president of the Italian Space Agency, Giorgio Saccoccia, specified that the Holy See asked them to identify a way for Pope Francis’ words of hope “to cross the borders of the Earth and reach the greatest number of people from space.” possible of women and men of our troubled planet”.
Through a press release released on Monday, March 27, it was reported that the satellite “is equipped with a radio transmitter and on-board instruments that can be maneuvered from the ground.”
During the time in which it is in orbit, it will broadcast the message of Pope Francis in English, Italian and Spanish, and its route can be followed through the website speisatelles.org.
Likewise, the promoters of the initiative give the opportunity to participate in the project. Anyone who wants to can put their name on a chip that the satellite will carry.although under only one condition: it will be necessary to carry out a work of mercy in return.