Jack White dropped the news about a week ago that he was planning to play the first vinyl record in space, and today he reveals that the mission was successfully completed (on July 2nd). The musically-inspired businessman, who also created the quickest performing-to-vinyl pressing booth ever, sent a gold-plated 12-inch master of Carl Sagan‘s “A Glorious Dawn” into outer space using a “space-proof” turntable that was attached to a high-altitude balloon. Yes, a turntable-carrying balloon.
“The Icarus Craft” was a collaborative design between former NASA member Kevin Carrico and SATINS (Students and Teachers in Near Space), and uses a “sturdy phono cartridge and stylus as well as an onboard flight computer programmed with a few different actions to keep the record playing while it was safe to do so.” According to White’s Third Man Records, the craft rose 94,413 feet above earth in less than 90 minutes, and the record was still spinning after its landing back on Earth.
White released a statement, saying: “Our main goal from inception to completion of this project was to inject imagination and inspiration into the daily discourse of music and vinyl lovers. Combining our creative impulses with those of discovery and science is our passion, and even on the scale that we are working with here, it was exhilarating to decide to do something that hasn’t been done before and to work towards its completion. And, it brings us great fulfillment to pay tribute to the incredible scientist and dreamer that Carl Sagan was. We hope that in meeting our goal we inspire others to dream big and start their own missions, whatever they may be.“
Carl Sagan’s A Glorious Dawn was released on vinyl through Third Man Records in 2009, and includes an engraving of the diagram found on the Voyager Golden Record that Sagan worked on. White chose to spin this piece in honor of the scientists 75th birthday.
TMR has shared a documentary on the mission, as well as a full replay of its voyage. Check it out!
[H/T CoS]