One month ago, Voyager I became the first human spacecraft to enter interstellar space. I wrote about the Golden Record Voyager I is carrying and the sounds it recorded in space not long ago. Soon after Voyager I passed over into interstellar space the design director of the Voyager I and II Golden Records, Jon Lomberg, conceived the idea to upload more content from Earth to the New Horizons spacecraft on its way to Pluto.

This is the classic “message in a bottle” idea and if New Horizons is eventually found by intelligent life elsewhere in the universe they will be able to listen to sounds and images from Earth (assuming they can figure out our file formats). This would be the first time a spacecraft has had a digital message instead of something tangible. Voyager I and II had the Golden Record, of course. Pioneer I and II each had plaques. New Horizons is the only spacecraft headed for interstellar space without a message. Therefore the New Horizons Message Initiative is launching a petition to gather signatures urging NASA to support of the idea of uploading content digitally to New Horizons.

Lomberg said in a press release, that the content uploaded to the New Horizons spacecraft could be decided by the internet community. Suggested content could be uploaded and voted upon. The content with the most votes would then be uploaded to New Horizons.

“Like the Voyager Record, this will be both a message from Earth and a message to Earth,” Lomberg said. “The very act of creating it will be a powerful reminder that we all share a common heritage and future on this ‘pale blue dot’ we call Earth.”

In addition to the content uploaded, the names of the first 10,000 people who sign the petition will also be uploaded to the spacecraft.

It’s a cool idea and there’s really no reason not to do it. Head on over to www.newhorizonsmessage.com and sign the petition yourself. Think about what you would suggest to be uploaded to New Horizons.

For me, I feel like they covered the Classical genre pretty well on the Voyager I and II Golden Records. I would still want a little included, like Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique and Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D Major Op. 77 but I would also want songs from Bill Monroe, Bob Dylan, Leadbelly, Pat Metheny, Nirvana, Tool, Paul Simon’s Graceland, Billie Holliday, Beyonce, and some Jay Z & Kanye Watch the Throne to round it off.

What songs or artists would you pick to represent Earth to intelligent life?