Pioneer Plaques

space · alien contact · human message

Messages from Earth. In 1972 and 1973, two spacecraft called Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 launched into deep space carrying special golden plaques. These plaques were designed to be messages from humanity, just in case any intelligent aliens ever found the spacecraft floating in the cosmos.

Pictorial storytelling. The plaques use pictures and symbols instead of words because the creators thought pictures would be easier for aliens to understand than any human language. The symbols were meant to show aliens where the spacecraft came from and what humans are like.

Human figures shown. The plaques feature drawings of a human male and female so that any alien life forms could understand what the creators of the spacecraft looked like. These figures help tell the story of who sent this message from Earth.

Golden time capsule. The plaques are made of gold-anodized aluminum, which means they are covered with a special golden coating that can survive for billions of years in the harsh environment of space. This makes them like a time capsule that could last longer than anything humanity has ever made.