Earthlings can now order their very own vinyl version of the “Voyager Golden Record,” which NASA sent into deep space decades ago in an attempt to reach intelligent life.
The soundtrack has been available on SoundCloud and came out as a CD in 1992. Now, Ozma Records is preparing to release it on vinyl as early as January through distributor Light in the Attic, reports The Washington Post. It’s already available for preorder.
Two sets of the phonograph album — with images and instructions in symbolic language — were rocketed into space in 1977, one aboard the Voyager 1 and the other aboard Voyager 2. Sounds from animals and the outdoors, plus rock, classical and other genres of international music, were recorded onto the 12-inch, gold-plated copper disks.
The selection — compiled by a committee headed by astronomer Carl Sagan — was intended to be a broad introduction to the myriad sounds of Earth. It’s a “kind of time capsule, intended to communicate a story of our world to extraterrestrials,” says a NASA statement. The recording includes greetings in 55 languages, the sound of rain, a whale song, bird chirps, a baby’s cry, Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” and music by Bach and Beethoven, among many other things.
The vinyl project was initially funded by a $1.4 million Kickstarter campaign to honor the 40th anniversary of the Voyager launches. The faster craft, Voyager 1, is now some 31 billion miles from Earth.
“The Voyager record is a testament to the potential of science and art to ignite humanity’s sense of curiosity and wonder,” notes a statement from Ozma. “It’s a reminder of what we can achieve when we are at our best — and that our future really is up to all of us.”
The record contains a message from Earth by Jimmy Carter, who was U.S. president when the Voyagers headed into space. “This is a present from a small distant world, a token of our sounds ... our music, our thoughts, and our feelings,” he said. “We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations.”