VIENNA — The timeless notes of Johann Strauss’ “Blue Danube” waltz have finally soared into the vastness of space, decades after missing the opportunity to journey aboard NASA’s Voyager spacecraft. On Saturday, the European Space Agency (ESA) orchestrated a celestial performance by directing the waltz into space from its major radio antenna located in Spain. The transmission targeted Voyager 1, which stands as humanity’s most distant probe, positioned over 15 billion miles from Earth. As the composition traveled at the speed of light, it was predicted to catch up with Voyager 1 in less than a day.
The Vienna Symphony Orchestra graced this event by performing the iconic piece during its cosmic transmission, choosing to send a version captured during rehearsal. This initiative forms part of an elaborate yearlong commemoration for Johann Strauss II’s bicentennial, highlighting the composer who left his musical mark on Vienna since his birth in 1825. Concurrently, the space-bound send-off pays tribute to the European Space Agency’s 50th anniversary, linking these celebrations through the medium of Strauss’ enduring music.
Since their 1977 launch, the Voyager probes have ventured beyond our solar system, each carrying a Golden Record brimming with music and sounds from Earth. However, the absence of any works by Strauss on these records left space enthusiasts longing. Strauss’ “Blue Danube” holds a specific sentimental value among space aficionados because of its prominent feature in the classic 1968 Stanley Kubrick film “2001: A Space Odyssey,” cementing its association with outer space in popular culture.