In the 1970's, the American space probes Pioneer and Voyager carried with them some wild hopes: both were sent off, taking a message to any intelligent life forms they might come across.

The message carried by Pioneer 10 & 11 was summarised in a few pictograms engraved on a plaque; there was a naked couple and a diagram of our solar system. Recorded on a video disk, accompanied by a playback head and instructions for how to use it, the message carried by Voyager 1 & 2 contained a sample of images, sounds and music from Earth.

These 'messages in a bottle' lost in the immensity of space show just how much mankind needs to find out whether it is alone in the universe...

More than thirty years later, a television channel is preparing to send another signal into the sky, relayed by a space antenna...

In autumn 2006, the European space programme plans to put the COROT satellite in orbit. One of its main missions will be to look for extrasolar planets, including so-called 'telluric' planets, which are similar to the Earth. As part of this hopeful project, a special programme will be broadcast on ARTE and into space via a CNES space centre antenna.

Together, let's take up the challenge of spreading a new message far and wide !

ARTE and Cargo Films are creating a television event that makes us want to believe that there are beings elsewhere that we may one day meet. The substance of the program will be formed by the most incredible exchanges between Earth and space.

… If distant worlds are inhabited, you are all invited to make yourselves known to them by producing your own message. We can but hope that our messages will be received, so why not use your imagination?

We can put the tremendous communication tool of radio waves to good use: they will carry the images and sounds of CosmicConnexion at the speed of light over astronomical distances. ... Television viewers and Internet users all over the world: welcome on board!