Odd Homage To ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Sees ‘blue Danube’ Waltz Beamed At Voyager1
What did you do on Saturday? We ask because the Vienna Symphony Orchestra spent some of it playing a waltz that the European Space Agency (ESA) transmitted in the general direction of the Voyager 1 probe.
The aim of this project, named “Waltz Into Space”, was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ESA’s founding and the 200th birthday of Austrian composer Johann Strauss.
Readers may recall that Strauss’s signature work, The Blue Danube, featured in seminal sci-fi flick 2001: A Space Odyssey during the famous sequence in which a Pan Am spaceship docks at a space station. In case you’re unfamiliar, here it is:
Folks at the Waltz Into Space project reckon that the scene above means The Blue Danube is celebrated as “the ultimate Anthem of Space” and made a mini-documentary to back up their argument. They assert the tune is worthy of being sent to the stars.
Humanity long ago decided on a playlist to represent our species to the universe, in the form of the “Golden record” that rode along with the two Voyager probes.
The Waltz Into Space project is miffed that Blue Danube was not part of that payload.
So, on Saturday, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra performed the waltz, and ESA beamed that performance into space using the 35-meter dish at the Cebreros station – aka the Deep Space Antenna 2 in Spain. You can see the performance here.
Another stated aim of the project is to “Make aliens dance”. That goal is spurious enough that in its FAQ, the Waltz Into Space project asked if that outcome is likely.
The answer points out that the colossal size of the universe means it is likely We Are Not Alone, so perhaps some bug-eyed monsters will one day hear the waltz.
“The beauty of this mission lies in its boundless imagination and optimism,” the project wrote. “Music is a universal language – one that transcends borders, species, and even galaxies. If there are life forms out there, perhaps they’ll feel the joy, the elegance, and the rhythm of humanity itself, and maybe they’ll respond with a dance of their own.
“One thing is clear: The Blue Danube Waltz will finally travel to its rightful home among the stars proving that even across light-years, art has the power to excite, and unite.” ®
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