International Space Orchestra


The International Space Orchestra is a team of space scientists from the NASA Ames Research Center, SETI Institute, Singularity University, and the International Space University.
The International Space Orchestra was created, assembled and is currently directed by designer of experiences and director Nelly Ben Hayoun. The musical director of ISO is the two-time Grammy award winner, violinist and composer, .
Members of the International Space Orchestra include LCROSS/LADEE NASA Flight Director Rusty Hunt, NASA Ames Research Center Deputy Director Lewis S. G. Braxton III and NASA astronaut Yvonne Cagle.

Public space outreach

In the summer of 2012 in California, ISO performed Ground Control: An Opera in Space, a 27-minute-long performance part scripted and based on the reenactment of the Apollo 11's mission control and part musical. Ground Control: An Opera in Space was composed by a team including Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz, Bobby Womack, Richard Russell, Mike Smith, Arthur Jeffes of Penguin Café, Maywa Denki, and Evan Price, with a libretto by science-fiction author Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic.
ISO's first performance took place in front of the 80 by 120 foot wind tunnel located at NASA Ames Research Center and its second in San Jose, California during the ZERO1 Biennial.
In addition, public talks by leading NASA and SETI Institute scientists were curated by Nelly Ben Hayoun, giving insights into missions that inspired the musical composition. These included presentations by SETI Institute Director of Research Gerry Harp, NASA Ames Research Center Chief Scientist Jacob Cohen, Kepler Mission Manager Roger Hunter and LCROSS/ LADEE NASA Flight Director Rusty Hunt.
In January 2013, the International Space Orchestra had its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival where it was acclaimed by the critic as a "masterpiece", a "real achievement", "as thrilling as watching a rocket launch" and "Spine Tingling". This feature film was later screened at the INDABA Film Festival, the Z33 House Of Contemporary Art, V&A Museum and SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas.
In May 2013, the International Space Orchestra performed at the Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco in front of 2,700 people with singer Beck. In September 2013, the International Space Orchestra featured at the Beijing Design Week, China.
On April 19, 2016, the International Space Orchestra performed at the historic Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco with the all-female British rock group the Savages.
On September 24, 2016, the International Space Orchestra opened for the Icelandic group Sigur Ros, playing the Sigur Ros songs Vidrar, Olsen Olsen, Hoppipola and Hafsol to a sold-out audience of 17,500 at the Hollywood Bowl. After their set, members of ISO also performed outreach as "Space Vikings" to members of the audience, educating the audience on space research related topics.
In November 2016, the International Space Orchestra recorded tracks at 25th Street Recording in Oakland, California to celebrate their recent collaborations with rock band Savages and Icelandic group Sigur Rós.
As well as being an unconventional public space outreach event, ISO also acts as an experiential and hybrid interdisciplinary research environment in which space scientists and engineers were invited to implement, deconstruct, perform, sing, mix, modify, and design musical acts in control rooms, acting as a provocation to imagine and disrupt human relationships with science and technology.

Satellite carrying recordings in orbit

Ground Control: An Opera in Space was recorded at Skywalker Ranch, George Lucas' studio, where Star Wars was developed.
On 4 August 2013, two ArduSat carrying the ISO recordings were launched aboard the H-IIB Launch Vehicle, HTV-4 from Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Tanegashima Space Centre. A video of the launch is available for public access .
On 19 November 2013, these ArduSat got released from the International Space Station by the six-member Expedition 38 crew. The orbiting residents worked with mission controllers around the world on deploying the ArduSat from Kibo’s airlock Tuesday 19 at 7:10 a.m. EST.
In May 2015, Italian European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti delivered the ISO recordings to the ISS during her space expedition record for longest single space flight by a woman and for the longest uninterrupted spaceflight of a European astronaut.

Members of the International Space Orchestra