Science & Tech · Space · 7 hrs ago
Early METI shifted from planetary tests toward interstellar messaging
Soviet scientists sent a Morse code signal toward Venus in 1962 using a radio telescope in Crimea.
The signal spelled “M-I-R,” followed by “Lenin” and “USSR,” and returned to Earth after reflecting off Venus.
The transmission tested radar equipment, not a bid for alien contact.
At the time, some scientists still thought Venus might be habitable, but later spacecraft revealed its extreme heat and harsh atmosphere.
SETI was becoming a more serious scientific effort, as advances in spaceflight renewed interest in life beyond Earth.
METI’s focus began shifting beyond nearby planets, while debate continued over the risks and ethics of sending messages to possible alien civilizations.
The series says it will next examine further milestones and the people who helped develop METI.
The Morse Message was transmitted toward Venus in November 1962 as a test of the Evpatoria Planetary Radar station.
The signal included M-I-R, followed by Lenin and USSR, and was reflected back to Earth about four and a half minutes later.
The article says the experiment came when Venus was still considered potentially habitable by some scientists.
Later observations revealed Venus’s harsh conditions and dispelled the idea that it was a watery planet.
The article describes a broader shift from messaging neighboring planets toward interstellar messaging, but the available text does not give details of that transition.
- Who
- Scientists at the Evpatoria Planetary Radar center carried out the transmission.
- What
- They sent a Morse Code signal toward Venus, mainly to test the radar station.
- When
- November 19–24, 1962.
- Where
- From the Evpatoria Planetary Radar center in Crimea, toward Venus.
- Why
- The main purpose was to test the radar station, not to contact an intelligent civilization.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Scientists at the Evpatoria Planetary Radar center transmitted the Morse Message toward Venus.
Mariner 4 made the first detailed measurements of Venus’s surface temperature.
Soviet probes and landers revealed Venus’s harsh conditions, dispelling the idea that it was a watery planet.
- Transmission site
- Evpatoria Planetary Radar center, Crimea
- Radio telescope
- RT-70
- Transmission target
- Venus
- Message contents
- M-I-R, Lenin and USSR
- Signal return time
- About four and a half minutes after transmission