Crowdfunding (popular funding) broke several of its goals on Kickstarter, but rewriting NASA's famous capsule from Earth was no easy task.
Kickstarter recreated and reassembled the Voyager gold record. And it turned out to be so successful that the founders plan to launch other projects that would combine the interests of art, science and consciousness.
The original entry is a capsule of earthly culture and history placed on the twin ships of NASA Voyager, which launched from Earth in 1977 on a mission to Jupiter and Saturn, as well as limits Solar system. Voyager 2 managed to take pictures of Uranus and Neptune, and also become the only ship to visit these planets.
The spacecraft is still flying and communicating with Earth, just like Voyager 1, which passed interstellar space in 2012. It is expected that for about 40,000 years they will pass adjacent star systems. Just in case, the recording is still on board to convey the message to a curious extraterrestrial culture (if there is one). David Peskovitts, chief editor of Boing Boing, who has been following the Voyagers since their launch at 7, said that re-creating the famous recording was “an inspirational experience.” Together with Timothy Ferris, the original producer of the record, they created Ozma Records to continue this work even after the project Golden Record was completed.
“We do amazing things with the Kickstarter project,” said Peskowitz. The project attracted investments of $ 1.35 million, which significantly exceeds the initial bid of $ 198,000. This made it possible to make more copies that were sent to those who supported the initiative.
Artistic Interpretation of the Voyager Spacecraft
Creating a record brought back to the past all those who participated in the project. Sony Music archivists managed to find the original tape used to create the gold record in 1977, which was in the ground bunkers.
A recent visit to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena gave archival snapshots of how a gold plate was created that no one had previously seen. The team was even able to track down some of the creators of indigenous music after consulting with anthropologists around the world. If the people were not determined, the scientists were able to specify at least a place. “We are incredibly grateful for this opportunity,” said Peskowitz. Records will be sent to all participants for the 40th anniversary of the launch of Voyager 2 in August.
Suzy Dodd, Voyager project manager since 2010, says the gold plate has retained its mission in the public eye. At least several times a month, requests for recording continue to come. Perhaps NASA will decide to create another capsule that displays the world today?
Packaging for Voyager Gold Record on Kickstarter
“The goal was to show the whole Earth. And not only Western culture, but also Eastern, African and others, ”said Dodd. “I would like to repeat everything with modern paintings and updated music, maybe even technology. And it will not be a disc, but a CD ”.
She added that the people who worked on the Voyager project are still alive. Last year two people retired. One of them was 80 years old. “He could have worked further,” laughs Dodd, “but the wife forbade it.”
