Listening to music while orbiting our beautiful 'fragile oasis' at 28,000 km/h must be wonderfully surreal. But by being able to share his photos and music, ESA astronaut André Kuipers allows us to follow his mission and experience, if only in some small way, the thrill of spaceflight.
André and his family are big fans of Armin van Buuren, the internationally known dance music producer and DJ from Leiden, the Netherlands. When Armin learned that his albums Mirage and Universal Religion Chapter 5 had been uploaded to the International Space Station as part of André's playlist, he said he felt very honoured to give this message and he dedicated his piece 'Communication' to André.
Between 2007 and 2010, Armin was voted number one in DJ Magazine's annual top 100 list of the most popular DJs. His 2008 studio album, Imagine, entered the Dutch album chart at #1, a first for a dance artist in Dutch music history. In March this year, Armin was named best DJ in the world at the International Dance Music Awards in Miami.
The environment on the International Space Station is very sterile, with pumps and fans being almost the only sounds, so it's possible that astronauts could start to feel disconnected. Astronauts say that music is important in feeling closer to what and who they hold dear on planet Earth.
"Music in space is something very important for the morale of crew and the psychological support of the astronauts," said ESA astronaut Frank De Winne, who became the first European Commander of the ISS in 2009.
Copyright: ESA/Armada Music BV
(Tracks 'Communication' and Space Odyssey (Original Mix Edit) by Shogun, courtesy Armada Music BV)
