The competition is now finished and closed to entries!
The first words spoken from the surface of Mars will echo for centuries. Those words will inspire and thrill billions, sitting side by side with the words spoken by Neil Armstrong in July of 1969. People remember those first words in a way that they remember little else.
What words would you most wish to hear from that man or woman who takes humanity's first steps onto another planet? What words best capture your vision for the future of the human race? The first person to set foot on Mars is already alive; with the continuing strides being made by NASA and ESA, a human mission could occur within the next twenty years.
In anticipation of this event and to increase international awareness of space and Mars exploration, we are launching the First Words competition for World Space Week, inviting visitors to submit what they think the first words on Mars will be. Find out more about the competition categories and prizes (over $300 in total), how to enter and the rules.
In addition to the competition, you'll be able to read original articles about Mars on this website, and we've also asked celebrities and prominent world figures to find out what they think the first words will be in Famous First Words.
All too often we can forget that there is more to space than space shuttles and space stations continually circling the globe. Unmanned probes have always been sent out to the farthest reaches of the solar system, but it's been over thirty years since a human left the orbit of Earth. We hope First Words will go a little way in rekindling the spirit of human space exploration.
If you have any questions about First Words, please contact us at contact@newmars.com.
Did you make up any of the quotations on the Famous First Words page?
No, we didn't. Everything you read there is what was said by the person in question.
Can you give me the contact details for the people on the Famous First Words page?
We hate to continue the negative tone, but no. Either that information is private, or it is publicly available on the Internet. Why not practice your data-mining skills on Google?
I would like to help publicise First Words (because I'm running an event)
You can download a First Words poster to print out and put up at events. If you run a weblog, maybe you'd like to link to us. However, we don't want anyone spamming people about First Words.
I love First Words, and would like to help out in some way
Okay, this isn't asked that frequently, but we're putting it in anyway. If you've enjoyed reading entries for First Words and liked our articles and fiction, you might want to consider buying one of our Mars maps (you can a little picture of it in the sidebar).
First Words is being run by volunteers and funded by a non-profit organization. By buying a map, not only do you get a wonderful looking educational map of Mars measuring 80cm x 60cm, but you'll also be donating money towards other fun and educational projects like First Words. The maps only cost $18 including shipping (the special offer has now ended).
Which countries can I buy the map from?
You can buy the maps from anywhere in the world, not just the United States, for a flat rate of $18. Our preferred method of payment is PayPal (which accepts credit cards) but you can also send a cheque. All of these details are covered when you click the link above.
Why are you running this competition?
Read what we said in 'About First Words'. Basically, we want to do something fun for World Space Week and we wanted other people to have fun and learn something about Mars. As you might have guessed, we're big fans of Mars and space exploration.
Where can I discuss topics like Mars online?
Check out the New Mars forums - it's run and populated by many of the people responsible for First Words, and as far as we know, it's the busiest and best place on the Internet for talking about Mars and related issues.
First Words is a project of the Mars Society International. The Mars Society is an international non-profit organization advocating the exploration and settlement of Mars. With a rapidly expanding membership of over 2000 scientists, educators, space professionals and advocates, members include many well-known personalities, including Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 astronaut and Dr. Geoff Briggs, director of the Center for Mars Exploration at NASA Ames Research Center. The Mars Society is supplying web hosting and prizes.
Volunteers and other prizes for First Words are being supplied by two other organizations within the Mars Society, New Mars and Generation Mars. New Mars is the official online magazine of the Mars Society, featuring original articles, fiction, interviews and reviews of all things Mars. Generation Mars. is an educational outreach project aimed at increasing space and Mars awareness in the youth around the world.
Adrian Hon - Organizer
Adrian Hon is the organizer of First Words. Adrian is heavily involved in the Mars advocacy movement, and is the editor of New Mars and co-founder of Generation Mars. He also co-wrote the NASA award-winning website Astrobiology: The Living Universe and designed the Mars maps (buy one, it's for a good cause!)
Currently Adrian is an undergraduate studying neuroscience at Cambridge University. Outside of his Mars interests he maintains a weblog and generally tries to do as many interesting things as possible every day.
Bill White - US Liaison
Bill White is the liaison for all First Words activities in North America. A lawyer in private practice, amateur historian, and an enthusiastic space advocate, Bill White is largely interested in the social and political ramifications of humans to Mars and the permanent settlement of space with an emphasis on how Mars settlement can be seen in the context of the larger history of humanity.
Bill lives near Chicago, Illinois USA, with his wife and two children.
Stephen Fulljames - Technical Assistance
Stephen constructed the entire back-end of the First Words website, including the entries database system. (fill in more here)
Thanks to...
Clark, for coming up with the original idea for First Words.
Firda Beka, for providing the original layout template for this website. Check out her CSS Colouring Book for good tableless CSS layouts.
The entire New Mars forums crew, for throwing out ideas about what we should do for World Space Week, and incessantly cracking jokes.
All of the people listed on the 'Famous First Words' page, for taking the time to reply to our emails and letters.
Everyone who has visited this website and entered the competition!
If you are a member of the media and would like to contact First Words, please email media@newmars.com or call 630-927-2014 if in the US. We check our email very regularly and will be able to provide a contact number for all enquiries, including those from the UK.
View the official First Words press release.
Articles in the press about First Words:
October 23rd - Live interview with Japanese radio station ZIP-FM
October 17th - Alan Boyle's Cosmic Log: Words for the first human on Mars (MSNBC.com)
October 17th - 1st Mars Words Contest Results In (Discovery.com)
October 13th - Purlers For Mars (Heraldsun.com)
October 9th - Web Guide: Hot Sites (USAToday.com)
October 9th - Race Is On for First Mars Words (Discovery.com)
October 8th - What Do We *Say* When We Get to Mars? Offer Your Ideas (Space.com)
October 3rd - Web Watch (Guardian.co.uk)