NASA Administrator Bill Nelson remembered Carter on Sunday as the "pinnacle of a public servant, dedicating his life to making our world a better place."
In a tribute to the former president, Nelson evoked a message Carter sent out on the Voyager 1, the farthest man-made object in space, when it first launched in 1977:
"If one such civilization intercepts Voyager and can understand these recorded contents, here is our message: This is a present from a small distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts, and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations. This record represents our hope and our determination, and our good will in a vast and awesome universe."
"President Carter understood an important truth: that we find common ground when we look to the stars," Nelson said.
"His words will forever belong to the heavens, and his legacy has forever bettered our country — and our Earth. The NASA family and I are keeping the Carter family close in our thoughts. May President Carter rest in peace."
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