Music in Space

Gabby Muehlenbeck, Design & Communications Coordinator

5 minute read

For as long as humans have gazed at the night sky, we have attached music to the cosmos. Whether in ancient songs inspired by celestial movements or symphonies that attempt to capture the grandeur of the universe, sound has been a bridge between the earthly and the infinite. It was only a matter of time before music itself found its way beyond our planet, carried by astronauts, spacecraft, and even the universe itself. In the absence of air, space is silent to the human ear, but that has not stopped us from filling it with melodies. From early astronaut performances to cutting-edge scientific sonifications, music has become an integral part of space exploration. What began as a simple holiday tune aboard a spacecraft has evolved into a sophisticated interplay between science and art, where even distant galaxies are being transformed into song.

The story of music in space began on December 16, 1965, when Gemini 6 astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra surprised NASA mission control with a holiday prank. As they floated in microgravity, they claimed to have seen an unidentified flying object (what the heck was a jolly white bearded man doing in space!?) and they pulled out a tiny harmonica and bells, playing the familiar tune of “Jingle Bells.” The performance lasted only a few seconds, but it made history as the first live musical performance in space. It was a lighthearted moment that foreshadowed the deep connection between astronauts and music, proving that even in the most extreme environments, music remains a source of comfort and joy.

As space exploration progressed, so did the role of music aboard missions. NASA developed a tradition of wake-up calls for astronauts, where mission control would play carefully chosen songs to start the crew’s day. The selections ranged from the uplifting sounds of “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles to the fittingly space-themed “Rocket Man” by Elton John. This tradition, lasting decades, served as a reminder that music has a unique ability to connect astronauts with Earth, lifting their spirits even when they are hundreds of miles away (around 254 to be exact).

Voyager Special Cargo: The Golden Record (NASA)

While astronauts were carrying music into orbit, NASA sought a way to send humanity’s sound further - beyond the limits of our own solar system. In 1977, the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft were launched, each carrying a Golden Record, a carefully curated collection of Earth’s sounds intended as a message for any potential extraterrestrial life that might discover it. The record, crafted by a team led by Carl Sagan, contained greetings in 55 languages, the sounds of nature, and an eclectic mix of music from across cultures and time periods. Classical pieces by Bach and Beethoven were included alongside blues by Blind Willie Johnson, Azerbaijani folk music, and even Chuck Berry’s rock-and-roll hit “Johnny B. Goode.” The Golden Record represents one of the most poetic gestures of human curiosity - our desire not only to explore space but to introduce ourselves through the universal language of music. Today, over 45 years later, both Voyager spacecraft continue their journey through interstellar space, carrying Earth’s songs into the unknown.

Hadfield plays guitar in the Cupola Module (NASA)

As music continued to accompany astronauts, one of the most iconic moments in the fusion of space and music came in 2013, when Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded the first music video in space. Floating aboard the International Space Station, Hadfield performed David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” his acoustic guitar drifting weightlessly as he strummed and sang. The performance captivated the world, bringing together the wonder of space travel and the emotional pull of music in a way never seen before. Even Bowie himself praised Hadfield’s rendition, calling it “possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created.”

Beyond these cultural moments, music has played a more personal role for astronauts. Some have brought instruments into space, like flutes, guitars, and even a saxophone, using them as a form of relaxation and expression. Has there yet to be a drum kit brought up there? If it were me, that would be my comfort. Others have described listening to their favorite songs as a way to stay grounded - one of the few reassurances that can remind them of home when Earth is just a distant blue dot.

While humans have brought music into space, scientists have also found ways to bring space into music. In recent years, a field known as sonification has emerged, converting astronomical data into sound. By assigning different pitches and tones to light wavelengths or energy levels, scientists can create “music” from the cosmos, offering a new way to experience celestial phenomena.

One of the leaders in this effort is NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, which has transformed data from distant galaxies, black holes, and supernovae into hauntingly beautiful soundscapes. For example, the Pillars of Creation, one of the most famous nebulae ever photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope, has been turned into a sweeping melody, with different instruments representing the distinct wavelengths of light it emits. The Galactic Center, home to the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way, has been rendered into a mesmerizing orchestral arrangement, mapping X-rays, infrared, and visible light into sound. These projects allow us to "hear" space in a way that was previously unimaginable.

The Chandra Sonification Project has also made astronomy more accessible to visually impaired individuals, transforming images that would normally be seen into something that can be heard. It’s a fusion of science and art that extends the ways in which we can explore and understand the universe.

Murriyang, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization’s Parkes radio telescope, has detected more pulsars than any other telescope (CSIRO)

While NASA’s sonification projects translate data into sound, Australia’s CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) has taken this a step further, transforming astronomical events into full musical compositions. Using radio wave data from objects like pulsars and fast radio bursts, scientists have created rhythmic and harmonic pieces that allow us to "listen" to cosmic events.

For example, pulsars, which are rapidly rotating neutron stars, produce regular pulses of radio waves that CSIRO researchers have mapped into percussion beats. The merging of galaxies, one of the most dramatic events in the cosmos, has been translated into slow, sweeping harmonies that reflect the gradual motion of these cosmic collisions. Fast radio bursts, mysterious flashes of energy from deep space, have been turned into eerie, rhythmic sequences, mirroring their unpredictable nature.

These projects go beyond scientific analysis; they make the universe more personal, more immersive, and more human. They remind us that space is not just something we study - it’s something we can experience in ways beyond sight, using the universal language of sound. Music has always been an expression of exploration, whether across new lands, cultures, or ideas. Now, it extends beyond our planet, accompanying astronauts, drifting through interstellar space on Voyager’s Golden Record, and even emerging from the very fabric of the universe itself. Through sonification, we are learning to listen to the cosmos in ways we never thought possible, turning the silence of space into a symphony of discovery.

As our journey into the stars continues, one thing is certain: music will always be part of the adventure. Whether played by astronauts in microgravity, broadcast across interstellar distances, or extracted from the light of distant galaxies, the sounds of space will continue to inspire us - the universe itself has become a musician, playing a symphony we are only just beginning to hear.

Recommended column to read next: Spooky Space: Halloween on the ISS