A research study from the University of Padua explores a new interstellar communication system
16.01.2025
The question of whether we are alone in the universe has driven science to explore various avenues, such as observing exoplanets, listening for cosmic signals, and ultimately, the idea of directly exploring these distant worlds. A research team from the University of Padua, led by Paolo Villoresi, a professor in the Department of Information Engineering at the university, has recently made a significant advancement in the possibility of communicating with interstellar probes, publishing a study in the journal Physical Review Research.
The project involves the creation of a communication system through a probe directed towards the planet Proxima Centauri B, located 4.3 light-years from Earth.
"The communication scheme involves sending a sail-shaped probe, pushed by a powerful laser beam from Earth, which can reach 20% of the speed of light," explains Paolo Villoresi. "In this way, it covers the distance to its destination in twenty years. Once at Proxima Centauri B, using very thin transmitters placed on the surface of the sail, the message is transformed into light pulses that form a conical beam with a very narrow width. This beam will allow, using an error correction code capable of reaching the identified terrestrial reception point, to communicate the observations 'recorded' by the sail within a few weeks. Essentially, an interstellar 'telephone' that calls home from space!"
The study is part of the international Starshot project, supported by the Breakthrough Initiatives, which explores the search for extraterrestrial life and technologies for interstellar travel.
The work was made possible thanks to the synergy between experts in space quantum communication, nano-optics, and telecommunications, combining different skills to solve the technical challenges related to transmitting data over such extreme distances. The project also involves institutions such as Caltech, MIT, and the University of Berkeley.
Paolo Villoresi presented the study at the first Interstellar Symposium in Luxembourg, held in December 2023, thus contributing to an important milestone in the birth of a global scientific community focused on the future of deep space travel and communications.
