30 Jul 2015
Musicians, composers and audio buffs are invited to help celebrate 40 years of ESA’s tracking station network. Create some truly cosmic sound and you may win impressive prizes, including a trip to our anniversary gala event in Spain.
In 2015, ESA’s Estrack ground station network celebrates 40 years and we are inviting original compositions for the ‘Estrack 40th Anniversary Sound Contest.’
The winner will be selected as the new theme audio for Estrack, and the composer will receive a paid invitation to the anniversary VIP event at Cebreros Tracking Station in Spain on 24 September (seeTerms & Conditions for details).
In addition to the grand prize winner, two runners-up and seven Top Ten entries will be selected, each of which will win ESA-branded prizes.
In 1975, the ground station at Villafranca del Castillo in Spain became the kernel of the ESA Tracking network, which now comprises 10 stations in seven countries and this year celebrates four decades of providing communications for ESA's science, Earth and exploration missions.
Since inception, Estrack has expanded worldwide and today employs cutting-edge technology to link mission controllers with spacecraft orbiting Earth, voyaging deep in our Solar System and anywhere in between (more information in our Estrack web site).
Submissions
Compositions may be of any length, any genre and any style. However, the judges will look most favourably on submissions running two to four minutes and that incorporate or reflect one or more of the following themes:
----Exploration of our Universe, our Galaxy, our Solar System and our home planet,
----Scientific curiosity at the frontiers of human knowledge,
----Deep-space communication through the cosmos.
Eligible individuals or groups are invited to submit their original audio composition together with a brief note describing the work.
Submissions should be creative and imaginative, and may include audio material from any ESA website/channel (or any other source with appropriate permission).
The contest will be conducted in English. However, compositions may include vocals in any language.
Image:
(Left) Malargüe station.
(Right) esa operations.