Here's to explorers. To trailblazers, navigators, and those who kept their aim. In 1986, during the height of the space shuttle program, NASA and French electronic musician Jean-Michel Jarre were working together on a special project to make a recording in space. The astronaut Ron McNair, who was also a musician, was to play the saxophone on a piece, and the sound of his heart, recorded in space, was to serve as the only rhythm to the piece. It was going to be the first piece of music ever recorded in space. Unfortunately, this was the fated Challenger launch, which was a tragedy for the nation and for the world. Many know about the teacher Christa McAuliffe, who was to be the first civilian teacher to go into space on that voyage. But many don't know about Ron and this project. This is a video of one of the songs from the completed album. Done in that 80's pop music video style, the piece was never a “hit”, except perhaps with electronic music fans, to which the album is esteemed. However, this video and music, honoring those who perished in the Challenger explosion, has always inspired me. It speaks to the heights we can achieve, apart from identity politics, and efforts to tear down great things for their imperfections or dubious conceptions. Even amid tragedies and situations for which we have no control, it is in our calling to continue to strive. People from the past were never perfect, that’s not why statues of them were made. Here’s to explorers...
