European Space Agency to transmit iconic '2001: A Space Odyssey' waltz into the cosmic void
The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to cast Johann Strauss's 'Blue Danube' waltz into the cosmos in a unique celestial celebration marking significant anniversaries in the history of space exploration.
The milestone year of 2025 signifies the 50th anniversary of ESA's foundation, as well as the 20th anniversary of its 'Cebreros' space antenna. Remarkably, this anniversary coincides with the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss II, the composer behind the iconic Blue Danube. The waltz gained widespread recognition for its inclusion in Stanley Kubrick's acclaimed sci-fi film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
In an unprecedented collaboration, the European Space Agency and Vienna Tourist Board are organizing a live performance by the renowned Austrian Wiener Symphoniker. The concert will take place on Saturday, 31st May 2025, beginning at 20:30 CEST (19:30 BST / 14:30 ET). A portion of the concert will be broadcast into space via ESA's Cebreros antenna, with the transmission commencing at 21:30 CEST (20:30 BST / 15:30 ET). The livestream will be available at space.wien.info.
ESA's global network of ground stations, known as Estrack, facilitates the monitoring and controlling of satellites in space. The network, whose first antenna came online in Villafranca, Spain, in 1975, is capable of tracking satellites in Earth orbit and those venturing out to explore celestial objects like comets and asteroids. It also monitors European rocket launches as they soar into space.
ESA's Cebreros antenna, a 35m-wide dish, will transmit the Blue Danube Waltz concert into deep space on Saturday, 31st May 2025. Octave Procope-Mamert, responsible for ground infrastructure for spacecraft operations at ESA, expressed delight at the opportunity to contribute to this artistic project, highlighting the technical innovation applied daily in managing European space missions.
While separate from these celebrations, ESA's convention anniversary will also be acknowledged with discussions led by notable figures such as ESA Director General, Josef Aschbacher. These talks will focus on themes of inspiration, science, and exploration[1][3][5].
For those interested, the concert can be viewed online at space.vienna.info.
- The European Space Agency's (ESA) Cebreros antenna, a significant part of ESA's global network of ground stations known as Estrack, will transmit the Blue Danube Waltz concert into deep space on May 31, 2025.
- remarkably, the anniversary of ESA's foundation in 2025 coincides with the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss II, the composer behind the famous Blue Danube, which will be amplified into the cosmos by ESA as a unique celestial celebration.
- The Blue Danube Waltz, having gained recognition from its inclusion in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, will now travel beyond our solar system, satellites, galaxies, and the universe as part of space exploration history.
- Alongside this artistic project, the scientific exploration and advancements in space-and-astronomy, sustained by ESA, will continue to be discussed through conferences, with notable figures addressing themes of inspiration, science, and exploration.
