NASA Astronaut Cady Coleman, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson Perform First Space-Earth Flute Duet

Stephanie Schierholz

Headquarters, Washington                                        

 

James Hartsfield

Johnson Space Center, Houston

WASHINGTON -- Harmony reached new heights recently as NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, circling Earth aboard the International Space Station, and celebrity musician Ian Anderson, founder of the rock band Jethro Tull, collaborated for the first space-Earth duet.

Coleman, an amateur flutist, and Anderson played a portion of the song "Bourree," an arrangement of which Anderson and Jethro Tull performed during their 1969 U.S. tour as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped on the moon. Coleman played her part from 220 miles above Earth late last week. Anderson played his part while on tour in Perm, Russia, during the weekend. The two parts were then joined.

Video from the performance is on NASA's website at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=79119001.

Coleman and Anderson's performance saluted 50 years of human spaceflight and the anniversary of the first launch of a human to space. Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin completed that milestone on April 12, 1961.

"Thanks Col. Catherine Coleman in the International Space Station," Anderson said following the performance. "We should remember that today's cosmonauts, scientists and astronauts are still every bit the rocket heroes they were 50 years ago."

Coleman is an avid fan of Anderson's and carried one of his flutes with her for a six-month stay aboard the station, along with her own instrument. She also carried a penny whistle and Irish flute from members of the musical group The Chieftans.

"It is really different to play up here," Coleman said earlier during her stay on the station. "I've been having the nicest time up in our cupola. I float around in there. A lot of the times I play with my eyes closed."

The video also is available on NASA Television. For NASA TV streaming video, schedule and downlink info, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For more information about the flutes Coleman has aboard the station, visit http://go.nasa.gov/Cady_Coleman_Flute.

To view an image gallery from Gagarin's historic flight, visit http://www.nasa.gov/topics/history/features/gagarin/gagarin.html.

NASA's interactive feature commemorating the 30th anniversary of the space shuttle's first flight, visit http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/the_shuttle.

To learn more about the International Space Station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

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