Far out in space there are two twin spacecraft called Voyager 1 and 2. When NASA launched them in 1977, its primary mission was to send data back to Earth so we can learn more about other planets. Since they have completed their first mission, NASA has given them another one: Explore the outer boundary of the heliosphere and interstellar space. When making the Voyagers, with its missions in mind, NASA decided to put a message on the spacecraft in an attempt to communicate the story of Earth with extraterrestrials. They had done the same with Pioneers 10 and 11, leaving the message on a plaque. For the Voyagers, instead of a plaque, the message is in a 12 inch plated-gold record, aka, The Golden Record.
On the cover of the record there are drawings that explain what it is and how to use it. The top right drawings are the record from above and from the side. Using binary code, it shows what the proper speed per rotation is (3.6 seconds). Below those pictures is a diagram of where the sun is from pulsars from 14 known directions with binary code showing the frequency of the pulsars. On the upper left are drawings of the wave forms of the video signals on the recording with the binary code showing the time of the scan (8 milliseconds). The first box below those drawings is a picture raster that shows that there are 512 vertical lines in the complete picture. The box below that is a drawing of what the first picture (a circle) should look like when properly decoded. The last picture is a diagram of the two lowest states of the hydrogen atom.
A committee directed by famous astronomer Carl Sagan selected about 115 images and sounds for NASA to put in the record. These images and sounds are supposed to show what life on Earth is like. Some of the images on the record include the sun, a group of children, the Golden Gate Bridge, an old man with a dog and flowers, a school of fish, a tree toad, a family portrait, the Great Wall of China, and a Radio telescope. Some of the sounds on the record are natural sounds like wind, thunder, birds, and whales. They also included some music, tribal chants, panpipes, and percussion instruments. The record also includes greetings in 55 different languages.
In a few years, the Voyagers’ power will go out. It’ll stop sending data back to Earth and it’ll drift off deeper into space, never to be seen by humans again. However, the Golden Record is designed to last billions of years. Maybe one day, somebody will find our message.
