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?
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.
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
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Categories:
Air and Space Museum , Collaboration , Education, Access & Outreach , Feature Stories , Science and Nature
