Milan, 22 December 2024 - Yesterday, Saturday 21 December, coinciding with the winter solstice, the second space launch of the Star Bottle project took place successfully. This event, which follows the first launch last 10 August, marks a turning point for the initiative, which has seen the involvement of an increasingly large and enthusiastic public, consolidating itself as an important appointment for lovers of space and astronomical communication.
For the first time, messages sent into the cosmos reached three separate targets: Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky; Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the centre of our galaxy; and Europe, the moon of Jupiter that may harbour traces of life due to the presence of ice and organic substances, currently being studied by NASA's Europa Clipper mission.
The launch, organised by the Fucino space platform in collaboration with Telespazio and M3Sat, took place in three phases. At 00:00, messages were sent to Europa, followed at 02:30 by those to Sirius, and finally, in the morning, by messages to Sagittarius A*. This multiple approach underlines the ambition and maturity of the project compared to the first launch on 10 August, which had involved a single destination.
“The interest in this initiative has grown exponentially, recording a doubling of the number of messages sent since the first edition on 10 August - explained Domenico Zambarelli, manager of Star Bottle -. Sirius was the most popular destination, but Sagittarius A*”s Black Hole attracted comparable interest. Europa also received a significant number of messages, testifying to the public's enthusiasm for the exploration of potentially habitable worlds.
The project continues to offer the possibility of sending messages to deep space, also in the form of Christmas gift cards. The next launches are already scheduled for 21 June 2025, offering a unique opportunity to share love dedications, personal thoughts or leave a lasting trace in the Universe.
Star Bottle would like to thank all those who contributed to this success, including the staff of Cosmos 2050, Radio Newspaper e the Gaslini Institute in Genoa, which allowed its young patients to participate in the initiative. Special thanks go to Princess Elettra Marconi for her presence during the space broadcasts.
For more information on the Star Bottle project and space launches: info@starbottle.space
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