Music to the spheres

When it comes to a cosmic "Top 40," humanity is farther along than you might think.

By Francis Reddy

Published: October 25, 2005

With the potential to last until 2020, Voyager 1 has far exceeded its mission expectations.

Photo by JPL / NASA

When Huygens set down on Titan's frigid surface last January, it carried a special cargo. "The European Space Agency wanted to add artistic content to the mission, to leave some trace of humanity in the unknown," says French musician Julien Civange. He and his partner Louis Haéri composed and recorded four original songs — titled "Lalala," "Bald James Dean," "Hot Time," and "No Love" — and all 12 minutes of audio rode to Titan's surface on a CD-ROM attached to Huygens.

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