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In 1977, NASA carried out one of the most important attempts in history to corroborate the existence of extraterrestrial life: they launched a sort of “time capsule” into the universe to deliver to alien life -if there is any- a disc with precise instructions for use that explained to them what humans are like and where we are located.
On board the Voyager 1 and 2 missions -designed to explore the planets that are outside the solar system- travels a golden record with a curated selection of images, sounds and data to locate Earth. 49 years after the launch of these probes, the mission remains active and trackable.
What is the “time capsule” that has been traveling through space since 1977 like
According to the official information shared by NASA, the time capsule was sent in disc format, built on gold-plated copper.
Its cover is coated with a material that has an average lifespan of 4.468 billion years: ultra-pure uranium-238. In addition, it is engraved with the inscription “To the makers of music – all worlds, all times” (To the makers of music: of all worlds and of all times).
Anticipating that this capsule would eventually be found by extraterrestrials, they attached technical and precise instructions on the cover on how to use the disc, how to locate our planet, and materials were used to allow them to calculate how long the disc has been traveling through space.
What was included in this time capsule sent by NASA
The contents sent included 115 images (some of which can be viewed by clicking here) that illustrate human anatomy, natural landscapes, animals, cultural institutions, technological advances, among many other things.
In addition, natural sounds such as water, wind, whales, birds and music from different cultures were included. In the case of the United States, pieces such as Melancholy Blues performed by Louis Armstrong and Hot Seven; Navajo Indians, Night Chant by Willard Rhodes; Dark Was the Night by Blind Willie Johnson and Johnny B. Goode, by Chuck Berry, were chosen.
The capsule also includes messages from then United States President Jimmy Carter and greetings in 55 languages.
“The messages on the record were designed to allow possible extraterrestrial civilizations that intercepted the craft millions of years later to reconstruct some images of 20th-century Earth and its inhabitants,” states the official press release launched on August 1, 1977.
Voyager 1 and Voyager 2: what is known about these probes
“The twin probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are the only spacecraft that have traveled beyond the heliosphere, the bubble of particles and magnetic fields generated by the Sun that protects us,” states the space agency. So far, no other object launched by NASA has gone farther than Voyager 1.
Those who want to follow this mission and learn where the spacecraft are can do so from this link and updates on its operation can be found here.