Space Tourists Vote For Bowie

And the stars look very different today…

Ananova today reports that David Bowie’s Space Oddity has been chosen as the first track to be played on the first commercial space trip for tourists. Here’s a bit from the story:

Bowie top choice for space tourists

David Bowie’s Space Oddity has been chosen as the first track to be played on the first commercial space trip for tourists. The song, first released in 1969, came top in a poll to find the ultimate play list for the trips which are due within three years.

Virgin Radio listeners voted for the songs to be heard on the new three-hour Virgin Galactic flights which will cost £100,000 per person. The track, with the immortal opening line ‘Ground Control to Major Tom’, was inspired by the Apollo 8 Mission.

“Space Oddity is one of those haunting songs that seems timeless so it was fitting it came out top for the first commercial flight,” said Pete Mitchell, of the Pete and Geoff Breakfast Show. “It was a ground-breaking track when it was first released and still sounds amazing today. Back then, it still seemed a distant idea that the common man could pop up to space on a flight but in just a few years we’ll be ready to take passenger flights in space.”

Well you learn something new every day. I never knew Space Oddity was inspired by the Apollo 8 Mission… always thought the inspiration was 2001: A Space Odyssey, but what do I know? Go here for the story in full.

Anyway, well done David… I’m sure there could have been more than just one Bowie song for this playlist. Here are a few more suggestions in case you need them, Virgin: Starman, Moonage Daydream, Hallo Spaceboy, Life On Mars?, I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spaceship, Something In The Air, etc., etc., etc.