An American father-daughter duo, Ken and Keli Chaffin, accomplished a remarkable feat by successfully decoding a simulated “alien signal” transmitted by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter in May 2023. The event not only shocked the scientific community but also drew public attention to the potential for communication with extraterrestrial beings.

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, part of a larger project to study the atmosphere of the planet Mars, sent a radio message to three observatories on Earth. The data collected was then made public, allowing citizen scientists to participate in the decoding process. Ken and Keli Chaffin were the first to extract the signal from the raw data and decode the message.

According to the ESA, the message the Chaffins decoded contained an image depicting the structure of five amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. This raised an interesting question: was this a message from aliens or simply an art and science experiment?

The message was part of the “A Sign in Space” project, a science and art initiative designed to explore how humans might react if they received a genuine message from extraterrestrial civilizations. Citizen scientists worked tirelessly to decode the message. While extracting the data only took about 10 days, the actual decoding proved much more difficult. It wasn’t until June 7, 2024 that Ken and Keli completed their work and sent the message to Daniela de Paulis, the project’s founder and artistic director.

The “A Sign in Space” project was not just a technical experiment but also an artistic and philosophical endeavor, as researchers from many different fields, including computer science, physics, and astrobiology, collaborated to create a unique intellectual product. They were supported by the SETI Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life, and the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia, which has advanced equipment to collect and analyze radio data.

Decoding the message required not only scientific knowledge but also creativity and patience. Ken and Keli Chaffin spent hours on the computer analyzing and simulating the data, and eventually, they discovered that the message contained some important biological characteristics. However, the biggest question still remained unanswered: “What did the aliens want to convey through the picture of five amino acids?”

Beyond the scientific aspects, the incident has also sparked a lively discussion in the online community. Scientists and space enthusiasts have gathered on a Discord server to debate and explore the deeper meaning of the message. They have raised the question of whether aliens came peacefully, a question that will likely remain a mystery for some time to come.

Ken and Keli Chaffin’s success in deciphering the ExoMars message not only demonstrates the capabilities of citizen scientists, but also highlights the importance of encouraging public participation in scientific research. It shows that anyone can contribute to the search for extraterrestrial life, and that knowledge is not only in the hands of professional researchers but also in the hands of passionate and determined individuals.

The signals sent back by ExoMars are not only part of a scientific research project, but also a message that opens the door to a global dialogue about how we perceive life, both on Earth and in space. The story of Ken and Keli Chaffin will continue to inspire generations to come in their quest to explore the mysteries of the universe and search for life beyond our planet.

From invisible signals to humane stories, the journey of the Chaffins and their “A Sign in Space” project opens a new dimension to how we communicate and understand each other. By combining science and art, we can not only understand the world around us but also create compelling stories about the unexplored in the vast universe. The message from space may be a signal from aliens, but it may also simply be a reflection of humanity’s desire to connect with each other in an increasingly vast and complex world.