Energy News  
It's Only Rock 'n' Roll, But We Launched It

The French musicians, Julien Civange and Louis Haeri, got their compositions on board the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft when it was launched in 1997 after being contacted to provide a cultural aspect to the scientific endeavour. The Huygens probe is to descend on to Titan's surface January 14 by parachute to carry out its experiments while the Cassini probe continues its fly-by of Saturn's 30-odd moons.

Paris (AFP) Nov 19, 2004
When the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft completes its journey to Saturn's moon Titan in January, its probe will carry out many missions - among them, to boldly blast rock 'n' roll music where none has been heard before.

The US-European vessel, run by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian space agency, is carrying a 14-minute CD loaded with music from two little-known French artists who will have the honour of having their tracks broadcast to any alien ears that may be listening.

Earthlings on the other hand will be able to bop along to the tunes on the Internet site www.music2titan.com from December 21 as they follow the mission online.

The French musicians, Julien Civange and Louis Haeri, got their compositions on board the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft when it was launched in 1997 after being contacted to provide a cultural aspect to the scientific endeavour.

"The ESA wanted to add artistic content to the mission, to leave some trace of humanity in the unknown and send a sign to any possible extraterrestrial populations," Civange told AFP.

"It's wicked!" the 33-year-old said, summing up the experience.

"When you create something, it's important to find new ways of expressing yourself. But this - this is a totally vertical way of doing that."

The only condition the ESA put on the musicians was for them to come up with tracks that had no words.

The first, "Lalala", gives the basic chords of rock and was inspired by photos provided by ESA, Civange said.

The second track, "Bald James Deans", refers to the separation of the Cassini and Huygens probes on Christmas Eve, conjuring up dual visions of the US film icon speeding off in different directions in the stellar void.

The Huygens probe is to descend on to Titan's surface January 14 by parachute to carry out its experiments while the Cassini probe continues its fly-by of Saturn's 30-odd moons.

The third track on the CD, "Hot Time", is an artistic piece meant to reflect the exploration of Titan while the last tune, "No Love", channels Civange's preferred sci-fi author Philip K. Dick by evoking questions about what space travel means.

"What are we going to take out there? Our waste? Our fast-food? Our knowledge?" Civange asked.

For the musician, being associated with a real space mission is the realisation of a childhood dream.

Although Civange pursued a career that brought him into contact with band the Clash and then the formation, with Haeri, of his group La Place which opened for acts such as David Bowie and the Rolling Stones, the pull of the stars was always strong.

"The first step on the Moon, George Lucas and 'Star Wars' - it's all the culture of the postwar generation.

"And it all comes back to the idea of a spatial exodus. One day, the Earth will be too small, too hostile, and we'll have to go elsewhere, like Man has always done in leaving glacial areas or moving to new continents."

All rights reserved. � 2004 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
SpaceDaily
Search SpaceDaily
Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express
Explore The Ring World of Saturn and her moons
Jupiter and its Moons
The million outer planets of a star called Sol
News Flash at Mercury



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Cassini Images Halo Around Titanic Moon Off Saturn
Pasadena CA (SPX) Dec 27, 2005
With its thick, distended atmosphere, Titan's orange globe shines softly, encircled by a thin halo of purple light-scattering haze.







  • Japan Eyes Plant Exports Via Nuclear Technology Alliance With US
  • Discovery Of Real-Time Natural Gas Formation Offers Prospect For Renewable Energy Resource
  • Green Car Sets Speed Record
  • NASA Buys Hydrogenics Light Weight Fuel Cell Stack To Test For Uses In Space

  • Nuclear Waste Dumps Will Become The Pyramids Of Our Age
  • France Gambles On Nuclear Energy Market
  • Nigeria's First Nuclear Reactor Inaugurated
  • Iran-EU Still Short Of Agreement On Tehran's Nuclear Program





  • NASA Uses Remotely Piloted Airplane To Monitor Grapes



  • Raytheon To Continue NASA Contract For Airspace Concepts Evaluation System
  • FAA And Raytheon To Modify FAA Contract To Provide Full LPV Performance For The WAAS
  • Northrop Grumman Wins $39M Contract For NASA Airframe Structures Work
  • Boeing CEO Still Hopes For Air Force Tanker Deal

  • NASA plans to send new robot to Jupiter
  • Los Alamos Hopes To Lead New Era Of Nuclear Space Tranportion With Jovian Mission
  • Boeing Selects Leader for Nuclear Space Systems Program
  • Boeing-Led Team to Study Nuclear-Powered Space Systems

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement