The Apollo 11 Goodwill Disc prototype build… now happily ensconced in a custom 11-sided polygon like the one Buzz Aldrin left on the moon.
The 2″ silicon wafer was state of the art in 1969, and it contains the letters of the world leaders in iridescent thin film microfiche. Letters came by mail and telex from the Pope Paul VI, Queen Elizabeth II, Halle Selassie, Indira Ghandi, Chiang Kai-Shek and my favorite, President Tubman of Liberia:
“We salute these explorers of outer space and pray for their security and safety while we admire their courage and intrepidity. I ask them to bear this message to the inhabitants of the Moon if they find any there. If they do not, it is my desire that this message be one of greetings from the people of Liberia and myself to the Moon, nebulous satellite of the Earth.”
The full story: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/7587516790/
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