The overall aim of the activity is to illustrate to students how telecommunications between space probes and Earth work, highlighting the fundamental importance of using radio waves and antennas to transmit and receive information through space. A crucial aspect to be conveyed to students is the value of creating a network of terrestrial antennas for telecommunications, closely interconnected and coordinated to ensure continuous 24-hour coverage of the probes, a theme that ties in with the underlying theme of the 2025 FestivalScienza, “Tramas.” The NASA Voyager I probe and the Sardinia Deep Space Antenna, the Sìspaziale configuration of the Sardinia Radio Telescope, near San Basilio (CA), will be considered.
The activity will consist of an operational phase in which groups of students will assemble a model of the Voyager probe and one of the SDSA antenna. The concept of telecommunications will be represented by the students, who will carry a message between the two models. The message will be examined and analyzed, and the students will draw conclusions based on what they have learned. This will be followed by a collective reflection, in which the groups will share their experiences and compare the concepts acquired.
During the experience, the students will reflect on key concepts such as electromagnetic waves, which carry information, the travel times of waves in space, and the motion of the planets.
The ultimate educational objective is for students to gain a practical and interactive understanding of how space telecommunications works, focusing on the concepts of distance, delay time, and the importance of technology in space communications.