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Projects: Red Rover Goes to Mars

We Make It Happen! Red Rover Goes to Mars

by Bruce Betts

The following article is reprinted from the January/February 2004 issue of The Planetary Report. We Make It Happen! is a regular feature of The Planetary Report, written by Planetary Society Director of Projects Bruce Betts. Through it, we keep our members updated on our projects—what we are doing together to make space exploration happen.  The Planetary Society, with its members—and because of its members—does a lot of amazing things. These include our many SETI ventures, Mars exploration projects like Red Rover Goes to Mars and the Mars Microphone, extra-solar planet activities, near-Earth object programs, and, of course, our groundbreaking solar sail mission.

Secret Messages from Mars: Decode Them!

For well over a hundred years, certain people have claimed that there are secret messages being beamed to us from Mars. I finally agree—because we’re putting them there.

As part of The Planetary Society’s Red Rover Goes to Mars project (see “We Make It Happen!” in the May/June 2003 issue of The Planetary Report), we have provided mini-DVDs to each NASA Mars Exploration Rover spacecraft. They carry almost 4 million names of Mars enthusiasts to the surface of Mars. They also carry more: as part of a unique activity to engage students and the general public worldwide in space exploration, each also has, on its face, a different secret code.

After the spacecraft land on Mars, the Mars Exploration Rover project will image the mini-DVD within two to four days. You, your family, your relatives—even your pets, if they’re so inclined—can come to the Exploring Mars section of our website at planetary.org/mars to view the image and attempt to decode the secret passwords. We’ll release clues every day or two to make the job a little easier.

The first to decode the messages will win spiffy prizes. All who succeed in decoding each of the two passwords can download certificates of accomplishment. In the process, you can learn about data transmission and the clever codes we’ve employed on the DVDs, both of which are used a lot on Earth (oops, was that a clue?). While you’re on our website, you can also learn all about the mission, Mars, and our Red Rover Goes to Mars project. Have some fun, learn a lot, come play!