To Whom It May Concern

Q. Do the spacecraft we have sent to investigate the universe carry any identification of their human and earthly origin?

Victoria Roberts

A. In 1972 and 1973, the Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft were launched on long-distance space journeys with plaques intended to show where they came from and who made them, in case they encountered any intelligent life.
The plaques include drawings of nude male and female figures; a simple map of the solar system; and a diagram showing its location in relation to 14 quasars, or very bright objects in deep space. The transition between two states of the hydrogen atom is also shown schematically.
The two Voyager spacecraft, both launched in 1977, carry more elaborate messages — the so-called Golden Record, etched on gold-plated copper disks that offer recordings of diverse earthly sounds and 115 analog images. Needles and playing instructions are included.
Voyager 1, launched by NASA and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is now humankind’s most distant object, about 11.5 billion miles away from the Sun.
Many other spacecraft carry depictions of American flags, and some have microchips etched with the names and signatures of members of the public. Whether any would be understood remains to be seen. 

By C. Claiborne Ray

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