

But attached to the satellite was a small part of its planet of origin, a gold disc showing a diagram of our solar system and an illustration of a man and a woman with their hands open in a gesture of friendship.


With each second it left Earth farther and farther behind. But it was strong-strong enough to survive as it sailed silently across the frigid, bleak, black expanse of open space. Different instruments attached at strange angles gave it an awkward and fragile look. It looked like a giant butterfly fl uttering through space, the wings of its solar panels extended to gather in the power from the sun’s rays.
