It’s a standard scene of the alien invasion trope: everybody stands still and listens to/watches live reports of extraterrestrial craft penetrating Earth’s atmosphere. Stopping what they were doing, what had been important just moments earlier, absorbed in this new knowledge. In fear or awe. In shock or wonder. Forming clusters around the technological organs of news dissemination.

Most recently, this trope is rendered in the AAT retelling of Superman, Man of Steel. General Zod beams his demands down in every language, in the grammar of Fear. Clark Kent submits, not to Zod, but to the will of the people of Earth. Letting them choose Hope over Fear. Making that moment an optical illusion for the viewer; they can perceive one option as easily as the other… if they choose so.

Earth hasn’t been invaded. Rather, the reach of its civilisation just leveled up. In direct opposition to Earth’s atmospheric penetration, Voyager I just escaped that of our Sun’s. An absolutely momentous occasion, something that should be celebrated. Our first explorer in truly outer space, who’s journey there has taken a generation.

Why isn’t this radio image, and others like it, the only thing on a screen today?

For me, today is Voyager Day. A reminder that: we have to get bigger.

We can grow up, not because of some chiding alien space daddy, but because *we* choose to, by our own bootstraps, owning every mistake and accomplishment equally.

Well done, us!

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