May
28

Space Jams: Humanity’s Ultimate Mixtape

If you were curating a mixtape of Earth’s greatest hits that might be heard by aliens billions of years from now—what would you include?

In 1977, two unmanned spacecraft—Voyager I and Voyager II—launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a journey that would take them beyond our solar system. Affixed to the side of each of these two planetary explorers was a Voyager Golden Record—12-inch gold-plated copper discs containing greetings in 60 languages, samples of music from different cultures and eras, and natural and man-made sounds from Earth.  But how were the selections made for humanity’s ultimate mixtape?

Graphic art for Sidedoor podcast 11.19 Space Jams

Nearly 50 years later, Sidedoor is teaming up with our friends at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s podcast, AirSpace, to explore what’s on the record, how it got made, and its legacy.

Learn more about AirSpace

AirSpace Hosts

  • Matthew Shindell, curator of space history at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
  • Emily Martin, planetary geologist at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

Guests

  • Ann Druyan, Voyager Golden Record Creative Director
  • Lawrence Azerrad, Co-founder of Macroscopic

Listen now

Trancript

Sidedoor (S11E18) – Space Jams final web transcript


Posted: 28 May 2025
About the Author:

Alex di Giovanni is primarily responsible for "other duties as assigned" in the Office of Communications and External Affairs. She has been with the Smithsonian since 2006 and plans to be interred in the Smithson crypt.

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