Excerpt from The Official NASA Procedures for Contact with Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life © National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Extraterrestrial Affairs, 2029 (Classification Level AAA)

HISTORICAL IMPACT

Before reading on, it is important to take a moment to consider the impact of contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life. This event will be, without question, one of the most significant events in all of human history—if not the most significant. How it is handled will have incredible repercussions for the future of humanity. Therefore, while initial contact cannot necessarily be controlled,^I it is imperative that secondary contact and communication be handled by trained professionals who will be appropriate representatives of Planet Earth. If this is not done, the ramifications for the survival of life on earth could be disastrous.

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I. It is likely that alien civilizations will come to earth with little understanding of our own civilization, and thus it is impossible to predict whom they might initiate primary contact with. They might not approach the proper government officials at first, and might instead attempt to initiate primary contact with laypeople, children, or even animals.