NASA To Text Message Interplanetary Cousins

An anonymous reader writes "Inhabitants of the planet Gliese 581d will need a radio receiver and the ability to interpret binary code if they are to understand a series of text messages to be sent from Australia. Hello from Earth will collect the messages over the next 12 days and transmit them to the closest Earth-like planet that has the potential to harbor life. All the messages will be collected and exported as a text file and sent to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, where it will be encoded into binary code, packaged and tested before transmission."

Will Standard Text Messaging Rates Apply?

[Scragglykat]

Or do they get charged 20 cents every lightyear?

Spam!

[Ouchie]

"You have been offered a 30 Earth Solar Day trial of credit advantage. Text 'Stop' within next 30 Earth Solar Days to cancel. If you continue you're planet will be charged $9.99/mo." With interest and late penalties we should be able to file a judgement and forclose on their planet by the time they receive the message.

Oblig.

[J053]

All your base are belong to us!

It's a good thing this signal won't even make it.

[w0mprat]

I do recall reading that even earths most high powered transmitter beaming a message across interstellar space, would not be picked up by the equivalent of mankind most sensitive radio telescope across a distance of I don't recall what, a few light years? It is a obvious question never asked in this kind of journalism, would we be heard? It turns out we neither have the transmitting power nor the necessary reception were the equivalent strength message to be sent back. We're talking about signals crossing l