We’re only ONE month away from the Perseverance Rover touching down on Mars! The search for life is a pillar of Mars exploration. But our search is not confined to the planets of our solar system. Radio telescopes search for signals of intelligent life from far away planets, orbiting other stars. One such telescope, the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, collapsed on December 1, 2020. In his story, “The Great Silence,” science fiction author Ted Chiang features the telescope as he considers the significance of the animal life that surrounds it.

This installment will drop on Tuesday, January 19, wherever you get your podcasts and on the Voyages to Mars webpage.

About Voyages to Mars: Summer 2020, NASA’s Perseverance rover launched on its seven month journey from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to Jezero Crater, Mars. To accompany Percy on its seven-month journey, we’re compiling a literary mixtape of Martian-themed sci-fi set to music by DJ Kid Koala. New episodes are released every month.

Voyages to Mars is made possible by the support of the Secretary of the Smithsonian and

the Smithsonian Orlando Regional Council.