#What unique challenges would interstellar missionaries face?

In my story, a planet has been discovered orbiting Alpha Centauri B. By a strange coincidence - actually, despite incredible odds against - the planet is Earth-like and habitable. Furthermore, radio transmissions have been detected from the planet, and they seem to be the production of an intelligent species. They don't appear to have been intentionally broadcast, though.

For years, governments bicker about what to do. Private space enterprises are blocked from attempting a voyage, and after five years, Earth has not even sent anything like an attempt to start a conversation. That's bureaucracy for you.

A minor religion that is based off of a space opera-like story1 decided just after the discovery to send a ship with missionaries there. For five years they worked, and managed to build a ship that can get people to the planet in about ten years.

The ship leaves Earth, unbeknownst to anyone else. Earth never gets around to making contact after some alien scares pop up in the populace, and any related projects stall. The ship, however, continues on to its target.

Upon landing, what unique challenges will the missionaries face? By "unique", I rule out any challenges that any explorers would face or any missionaries would face. I'm talking about challenges that spring up when you stick missionaries on a planet around another star with absolutely no government backing or prior knowledge of the inhabitants of the planet, or much of the planet itself.

planetsspacereligion

I actually posted this as https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/20514/what-unique-challenges-would-interstellar-missionaries-face, but I deleted it because I felt it was a little boring, and it just seemed to simple.

What unique challenges would interstellar missionaries face?

In my story, a planet has been discovered orbiting Alpha Centauri B. By a strange coincidence - actually, despite incredible odds against - the planet is Earth-like and habitable. Furthermore, radio transmissions have been detected from the planet, and they seem to be the production of an intelligent species. They don't appear to have been intentionally broadcast, though.

For years, governments bicker about what to do. Private space enterprises are blocked from attempting a voyage, and after five years, Earth has not even sent anything like an attempt to start a conversation. That's bureaucracy for you.

A minor religion that is based off of a space opera-like story1 decided just after the discovery to send a ship with missionaries there. For five years they worked, and managed to build a ship that can get people to the planet in about ten years.

The ship leaves Earth, unbeknownst to anyone else. Earth never gets around to making contact after some alien scares pop up in the populace, and any related projects stall. The ship, however, continues on to its target.

Upon landing, what unique challenges will the missionaries face? By "unique", I rule out any challenges that any explorers would face or any missionaries would face. I'm talking about challenges that spring up when you stick missionaries on a planet around another star with absolutely no government backing or prior knowledge of the inhabitants of the planet, or much of the planet itself.

planetsspacereligion

I actually posted this as https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/20514/what-unique-challenges-would-interstellar-missionaries-face, but I deleted it because I felt it was a little boring, and it just seemed to simple.

#What unique challenges would interstellar missionaries face?

In my story, a planet has been discovered orbiting Alpha Centauri B. By a strange coincidence - actually, despite incredible odds against - the planet is Earth-like and habitable. Furthermore, radio transmissions have been detected from the planet, and they seem to be the production of an intelligent species. They don't appear to have been intentionally broadcast, though.

For years, governments bicker about what to do. Private space enterprises are blocked from attempting a voyage, and after five years, Earth has not even sent anything like an attempt to start a conversation. That's bureaucracy for you.

A minor religion that is based off of a space opera-like story1 decided just after the discovery to send a ship with missionaries there. For five years they worked, and managed to build a ship that can get people to the planet in about ten years.

The ship leaves Earth, unbeknownst to anyone else. Earth never gets around to making contact after some alien scares pop up in the populace, and any related projects stall. The ship, however, continues on to its target.

Upon landing, what unique challenges will the missionaries face? By "unique", I rule out any challenges that any explorers would face or any missionaries would face. I'm talking about challenges that spring up when you stick missionaries on a planet around another star with absolutely no government backing or prior knowledge of the inhabitants of the planet, or much of the planet itself.

planetsspacereligion

I actually posted this as http://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/20514/what-unique-challenges-would-interstellar-missionaries-face, but I deleted it because I felt it was a little boring, and it just seemed to simple.

#What unique challenges would interstellar missionaries face?

In my story, a planet has been discovered orbiting Alpha Centauri B. By a strange coincidence - actually, despite incredible odds against - the planet is Earth-like and habitable. Furthermore, radio transmissions have been detected from the planet, and they seem to be the production of an intelligent species. They don't appear to have been intentionally broadcast, though.

For years, governments bicker about what to do. Private space enterprises are blocked from attempting a voyage, and after five years, Earth has not even sent anything like an attempt to start a conversation. That's bureaucracy for you.

A minor religion that is based off of a space opera-like story1 decided just after the discovery to send a ship with missionaries there. For five years they worked, and managed to build a ship that can get people to the planet in about ten years.

The ship leaves Earth, unbeknownst to anyone else. Earth never gets around to making contact after some alien scares pop up in the populace, and any related projects stall. The ship, however, continues on to its target.

Upon landing, what unique challenges will the missionaries face? By "unique", I rule out any challenges that any explorers would face or any missionaries would face. I'm talking about challenges that spring up when you stick missionaries on a planet around another star with absolutely no government backing or prior knowledge of the inhabitants of the planet, or much of the planet itself.

planetsspacereligion

I actually posted this as https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/20514/what-unique-challenges-would-interstellar-missionaries-face, but I deleted it because I felt it was a little boring, and it just seemed to simple.

#What unique challenges would interstellar missionaries face?

In my story, a planet has been discovered orbiting Alpha Centauri B. By a strange coincidence - actually, despite incredible odds against - the planet is Earth-like and habitable. Furthermore, radio transmissions have been detected from the planet, and they seem to be the production of an intelligent species. They don't appear to have been intentionally broadcast, though.

For years, governments bicker about what to do. Private space enterprises are blocked from attempting a voyage, and after five years, Earth has not even sent anything like an attempt to start a conversation. That's bureaucracy for you.

A minor religion that is based off of a space opera-like story1 decided just after the discovery to send a ship with missionaries there. For five years they worked, and managed to build a ship that can get people to the planet in about ten years.

The ship leaves Earth, unbeknownst to anyone else. Earth never gets around to making contact after some alien scares pop up in the populace, and any related projects stall. The ship, however, continues on to its target.

Upon landing, what unique challenges will the missionaries face? By "unique", I rule out any challenges that any explorers would face or any missionaries would face. I'm talking about challenges that spring up when you stick missionaries on a planet around another star with absolutely no government backing or prior knowledge of the inhabitants of the planet, or much of the planet itself.

Thoughts?

planetsspacereligion

I actually posted this as http://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/20514/what-unique-challenges-would-interstellar-missionaries-face, but I deleted it because I felt it was a little boring, and it just seemed to simple.

#What unique challenges would interstellar missionaries face?

In my story, a planet has been discovered orbiting Alpha Centauri B. By a strange coincidence - actually, despite incredible odds against - the planet is Earth-like and habitable. Furthermore, radio transmissions have been detected from the planet, and they seem to be the production of an intelligent species. They don't appear to have been intentionally broadcast, though.

For years, governments bicker about what to do. Private space enterprises are blocked from attempting a voyage, and after five years, Earth has not even sent anything like an attempt to start a conversation. That's bureaucracy for you.

A minor religion that is based off of a space opera-like story1 decided just after the discovery to send a ship with missionaries there. For five years they worked, and managed to build a ship that can get people to the planet in about ten years.

The ship leaves Earth, unbeknownst to anyone else. Earth never gets around to making contact after some alien scares pop up in the populace, and any related projects stall. The ship, however, continues on to its target.

Upon landing, what unique challenges will the missionaries face? By "unique", I rule out any challenges that any explorers would face or any missionaries would face. I'm talking about challenges that spring up when you stick missionaries on a planet around another star with absolutely no government backing or prior knowledge of the inhabitants of the planet, or much of the planet itself.

planetsspacereligion

I actually posted this as http://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/20514/what-unique-challenges-would-interstellar-missionaries-face, but I deleted it because I felt it was a little boring, and it just seemed to simple.