First Words on Mars

“That’s one small step for a woman…”

I was thinking “That’s one small step for me, one giant leap for us all.” In whatever language, or maybe several.

It looks like my driveway.

Will a burst of static at the wrong time completely wipe out the meaning?

Seeing this thread again reminded me of the alt-text from the xkcd strip Opportunity.

We all remember those famous first words spoken by an astronaut on the surface of Mars: “That’s one small step fo- HOLY SHIT LOOK OUT IT’S GOT SOME KIND OF DRILL! Get back to the … [unintelligible] … [signal lost]”

Houston Taiyuan, the door is stuck.

“We did bring the potatoes, right? Just in case.”

Well, yes, technically the first thing spoken will be a checklist readback. Then they’ll do the proper arrival announcement. And make the first social media post. And then some time later someone will have to do the step-off statement all the while thinking “ok, remember, enunciate clearly .”

That would be awkward, wouldn’t it?

How about some Frederik Pohl/Walter M. Miller Jr. angle?

Pater noster, qui es in Caelis, sanctificetur nomen Tuum. Adveniat regnum Tuum, fiat voluntas Tua, sicut in Caelo et in Terra. Et in Marte.