Polaris Dawn mission astronaut Sarah Gillis staged a space concert, performing the Star Wars theme on her violin. Thanks to Starlink satellite communications, orchestras from around the world were able to accompany her in real time.
Image source: Polaris Dawn
The musical performance was made possible thanks to the high-speed communications provided by SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network. Gillies played the violin on board the Dragon spacecraft, and she was accompanied in turn by orchestras from different parts of the Earth – from the USA, Brazil, Sweden, Venezuela and other countries. “As we travel around our beautiful planet, we wanted to share this special musical moment with you,” Gillies said in her video message.
HARMONY OF RESILIENCE: Recorded in space and sent to Earth via @SpaceX’s @Starlink constellation, Polaris Dawn crewmember and violinist @Gillis_SarahE invites you to enjoy this music moment in support of @StJude & @ElSistemaUSA → https://t.co/My8cUwAWzg pic.twitter.com/OoxTllCZNP
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Interestingly, the space concert was not just an entertainment event, but also part of testing the Starlink laser communication system. Typically, Starlink satellites use radio waves to transmit Internet data to Earth. However, they are also equipped with lasers that are capable of creating connections at speeds of up to 100 Gbps per channel. This allows satellites to interact with each other, forming a single network in space. The Dragon carrying the Polaris Dawn crew supposedly used this particular laser network to send video back to Earth.
Earlier on Thursday, the mission’s official X/Twitter account posted two photos taken from space with the caption: “Sent from space via Starlink laser beam.” And on Friday morning, shortly before the publication of the video with Gillis, another post appeared: “The connection has been established, stay tuned!” This suggests that the recording of the concert was not broadcast live, but was first sent to musical groups on Earth for processing and final performance in the recording.
Let us remind you that the Polaris Dawn mission, managed by SpaceX, launched on September 10 on the manned Dragon 2 spacecraft into low-Earth orbit. Goals include medical observation and testing of the Starlink communications system. On September 12, as part of a commercial space flight, the first ever spacewalk by space tourists took place.