A good article about the CONTACT conference
George R. Stewart began his epochal Ordeal by Hunger by describing northern Nevada from a position in orbit 200 miles above Earth. This, in 1936, 24 years before any human had seen or photographed it. As always, Stewart was a ranger of the mind, looking out over the next pass to see what could be seen. The CONTACT conference also does this, and here’s a good article about that conference.
the EARTH ABIDES project 