When I say that our lives are directly affected by the application of technology learned from the exploration of space, I really mean it!
What I did not expect was that such a venerable institution as the Vatican, with its history of strained relations with certain scientists, is now so dependent on science to preserve some of our history for future generations!
What a wonderful conundrum!
In the last few years, the Vatican Library has been digitizing ancient manuscripts using a digital data flow technology developed by the European Space Agency to map and store images of the moon, stars and asteroids!
It saves time and works with a precision that allows for microscopic analysis of the digital version. WOW!
The system is known as The Flexible Image Transport System (FITS). Currently, the Vatican Library has targeted 82,000 manuscripts for digitization and they already have finished over 4,400.
At SpaceCom in November, we will unearth some exciting new ways for data to be used and images to be developed for everything from weather to ore deposit locations to the house with the largest carbon footprint to measuring climate change!
To avoid any “fits and starts” and to assure you are in the know and are well read, SpaceCom is for you.
The trial of Galileo Galilei apparently is not available yet but it may be someday!
James is the Executive Director for SpaceCom and an avid reader of history.