Carl Sagan‘s Message to Martian Pioneers Endures on Red Planet
PASADENA, CA – A message of hope and philosophical inquiry from the late astronomer carl Sagan is currently residing on the surface of Mars, awaiting discovery by the first humans to set foot on the planet. Sent in 2008 aboard NASA’s Phoenix lander, the recording represents a poignant attempt to connect with future Martian explorers and contemplate the motivations driving humanity’s expansion into the cosmos.
The message, facilitated by The Planetary Society – wich Sagan co-founded – isn’t a technical manual or scientific data, but a deeply personal reflection on the human spirit of exploration. Encased on a durable silica-glass mini-DVD,the recording is designed to withstand the harsh Martian environment for centuries,possibly millennia. It offers Sagan’s musings on why we might venture to another world, expressing both curiosity and a sense of inevitability.
“I don’t know why you’re on Mars,” sagan says in the recording. “Maybe you’re there because we’ve recognized we have to carefully move small asteroids around to avert the possibility of one impacting the Earth with catastrophic consequences, and, while we’re up in near-Earth space, it’s only a hop, skip, and a jump to Mars.” He also proposes a more fundamental reason: “Or maybe we’re on Mars because we have to be,because there’s a deep nomadic impulse built into us by the evolutionary process. We come after all, from hunter-gatherers, and for 99.9 percent of our tenure on Earth, we’ve been wanderers. And the next place to wander to is Mars.”
Ultimately, Sagan’s message is one of encouragement.”But whatever the reason you’re on Mars is, I’m glad you’re there. And I wish I was with you.” The recording arrived on Mars on May 25, 2008, and remains there as a testament to Sagan’s enduring vision of a future where humanity becomes an interplanetary species. The Planetary Society hopes the archival DVD will serve as a lasting message of connection across time and space.
