Sounds of science: NASA satellites sing at World Science Festival

NASA debuted its “NASA Orbit Pavilion” at the World Science Festival in New York today – a metal enclosure offering an auditory experience inspired by NASA’s Earth-watching satellites. During a five-minute presentation, visitors enter the curved metal structure and hear sounds like waves crashing and crickets chirping. The sounds come from all directions, but seem to be moving. Each sound represents one of the 20 active NASA Earth satellites in orbit. The presentation changes gears when a presenter reminds the attendees that these satellites must be launched into space; then the speakers play the sound of a rocket taking off.

We like to call it ‘sneaking up on learning’. We plant the seeds of curiosity with people, and when they leave they want to know more.

David Delgado, an artist, designer and educator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Because sound can’t travel in space, satellites don’t actually make any noises. But the creators had the idea to represent the movement of the satellites with sound, rather than images, and offer an alternative way of thinking about all the NASA Earth satellites moving around above everyone’s heads.

Science NASA