In May 2023, the European Space Agency (ESA) conducted an experiment called “A Sign in Space,” simulating the reception of a signal from an extraterrestrial civilization.

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), orbiting Mars, transmitted an encoded signal to Earth. This signal was intercepted by three radio telescopes: the Green Bank Observatory and the Allen Telescope Array in the United States, and the Medicina Radio Telescope in Italy.

Decoding Process:

• Global Participation: More than 5,000 scientists and enthusiasts from around the world joined the challenge to decipher the signal. Within just ten days, they managed to extract the message from the raw radio signal data.
• Deciphering the Message: Ken and Keli Chaffin, a father-daughter team from Seattle, United States, spent over a year analyzing the signal. They used cellular automata and signal processing techniques to identify repetitive patterns and decode the content. The message turned out to be an image displaying five amino acids represented in organic molecular notation, accompanied by individual dots appearing between groups and molecular diagrams.

Experiment Objectives:

The “A Sign in Space” project aimed to explore how humanity would react to and process a signal from extraterrestrial intelligence. The initiative combined science, art, and citizen participation to simulate a transformative experience for humanity.

Implications and Learnings:

This experiment highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and public engagement in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. It also underscored the technical and cognitive challenges associated with interpreting messages of unknown origin. The experience gained could prove invaluable for future efforts to communicate with extraterrestrial civilizations. (elconfidencial.com)

In summary, the decoding of the ESA-transmitted signal in 2023 not only demonstrated the ability of the scientific community and the public to work together on complex challenges but also provided a valuable perspective on how we might approach real communication with extraterrestrial intelligences in the future.