A Message From Earth

The extra-terrestrial communication project, 'A Message From Earth', set up by social networking site Bebo, production company RDF, and one of the world's experts in interstellar radio communication, Dr Alexander Zaitsev, today beamed 500 messages into space in a digital time capsule.

Using a Ukrainian radio telescope, normally used to identify and track asteroids that pose a threat to Earth, the message is being beamed to a planet orbiting the star Gliese 581c – 20 light years, or 120 trillion-miles, from Earth – because it is believed to be capable of supporting life.

The Message From Earth project, which launched on 4th August 2008, invited Bebo users, celebrities and politicians to submit messages and pictures that "consider the planet from a fresh perspective", and raise awareness of environmental pressures on our planet.

Users posted entries and voted for the best ones on a dedicated Bebo page, of which the winning 500 were sent into space today – 9th October 2008.

Today's youth audience is always looking for ways to express itself and this project gives us a window into what people care about, from lighthearted fun, to the issues that really make people stop and think.

It is exciting to see how young people chose to represent humanity and the planet, and although some of the messages may be a little naïve, they do portray a creative and fresh look at the subject.

In the first month after launch the site attracted 350,000 visitors and 10m video views. Oli Madgett, who conceived the project, is now working on developing the next stage of the project, both in terms of integrating brands, rolling out into other territories, and launching a complementary TV proposition!