You Can Buy a Replica of Carl Sagan's Famous Pioneer Plaque
When Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 went to the skies in the early 70's, they carried with them gold plaques attempting to explain humanity to an alien race designed by one of the best teachers in species history, Carl Sagan. Now there's a Kickstarter offering exact replicas, and just in time for the 45th anniversary of Pioneer 10's launch.
The person behind the Kickstarter, Duane King, was inspired by Sagan's legendary Cosmos: A Personal Journey, which aired eight years after Pioneer 10's launch. "Put simply," King says on his Kickstarter, "the plaque is an expression of the vision and adventurous spirit that defines humanity at its best, and working with the plaque has been a lifelong dream of mine. So I set out to make a replica for myself."
Based on Sagan's design, the plaque attempts to get across a few basic facts about Earth. It shows a naked man and woman, hydrogen, the most common element in the universe, a portrayal of our solar system, Earth's relative position in the galaxy, and a silhouette of the Pioneer craft.
Working with the original engraving studio, Precision Engravers of San Carlos, California, King has built 200 gold replicas. He is selling them on Kickstarter for $399. There's also an aluminium version for sale for $99, out of King's desire to make sure a plaque can "reach everyone who shares my passion for the Pioneer missions."
Sagan's plan to depict naked humans was highly controversial. Linda Sagan's initial drawing including a line depicting a woman's vulva, which was erased by NASA higher-ups (the woman has no genitalia). Some took issue with the man leading the greeting of humanity with a passive woman by his side, and Sagan himself regretted how white the people look. Initial drawings gave the man an afro haircut to show a panracial view of humanity, but that was erased to give the man what was described as a ""non-African Mediterranean-curly haircut." An editorial cartoon at the time, as described in the book Captured by Aliens, gave the man a speech bubble saying "Hi, we're from Orange County."
Regardless, Sagan predicted that the plaques will "be the oldest artifact of mankind. Because a billion years from now, mountain building and erosion will have destroyed everything on the Earth, but this plaque will remain intact." That we could build anything that lasts that long is worth celebrating, especially something offering peace and goodwill, whatever its limitations.
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