The staff at the Arecibo Radio Telescope in Puerto Rico was about to begin a serious Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) on October 12, 1992, and like many science fiction fans, I wondered what would happen if we found incontestable evidence that there were other sentient species in the universe. And what if it were possible to get to them in a single human lifespan? Who would attempt the mission? It would take an international organization with scientific expertise, the money to back the mission, and a compelling motive to go. What about the Jesuits?
