Actor Anson Mount, who plays Captain Pike on Star Trek: Discovery, has accepted an invitation to join the research and communication organization, METI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence), whose primary goal is making contact with extraterrestrial life.
Not fully satisfied with his fictional quest to seek out new life and discover alien civilizations on TV, the Star Trek actor is embarking on a real-life project in space exploration. Mount announced that he is officially joining METI's Board of Directors in their Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).
In a tweet announcing the new partnership, the former Hell On Wheels star proclaimed that he was "deeply honored to have joined this incredible group of scientists, linguists, & thinkers" at METI, a San Francisco based group founded in 2015 intent on finding and communicating with alien lifeforms.
While most other scientific groups involved in the search for extraterrestrial life only monitor for incoming broadcasts that could potentially be from intelligent life, the cornerstone of METI's mission involves sending its own messages to the far reaches of the galaxy. Douglas Vakoch, the President of METI, insists that its proactive approach is the only way we as a species will ever communicate with alien life, saying, "we’ll never make contact if we limit ourselves to standard SETI strategies" of merely waiting to be contacted.
Anson Mount also plans to help METI get its message across here on Earth. Discussing how his role will involve education and public outreach, Mount said, "I look forward to helping this organization expand its footprint in our cultural landscape and educate the general public about our endeavors to connect with extraterrestrial intelligence through scientific methods as we continue to grapple with the implications of this work. As a Starfleet Captain, it brings me unbridled joy to be able to say that I am actually sending out a hail."
Anson Mount's character, Captain Christopher Pike, commanded the infamous USS Enterprise and acted as mentor and friend of James T. Kirk. Mount is set to reprise his beloved role as Captain Pike in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Paramount+.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount, Ethan Peck and Rebecca Romijn. The series has yet to receive a premiere date.