Sounds from Space

 

Sounds from Interplanetary Space Probes

This section is dedicated to Interplanetary Space Probes. Such probes use digital transmissions and the receivers here on Earth apply digital signal processing techniques to cope with the very weak received signals resulting from the enormous distances. However quite some of these signals can be recorded in the audio frequency band and visualized because the transmission bandwidth is usually limited due to the very weak signals.

My special thanks to Paul at www.uhf-satcom.com for getting this section started, Don Gurnett from the University of Iowa, Michael Fletcher OH2AUE, Paul Marsh M0EYT, Juan Daniel Gallego for their very interesting sounds.

Picture

Object name
#NORAD

Remarks

Launch
Date

Weight

 

Voyager-2
Mariner Jupiter/Saturn B
#10271
(1977-076A)

Voyager 2 was one of a pair of spacecraft launched to explore the planets of the outer solar system and the interplanetary environment. Each Voyager had as its major objectives at each planet to: (1) investigate the circulation, dynamics, structure, and composition of the planet's atmosphere; (2) characterize the morphology, geology, and physical state of the satellites of the planet; (3) provide improved values for the mass, size, and shape of the planet, its satellites, and any rings; and, (4) determine the magnetic field structure and characterize the composition and distribution of energetic trapped particles and plasma therein.

Aug 20th 1977

722 kg

NASA placed on both spacecrafts Voyager 1 and 2 a disk which contains messages to communicate a story of our world to extraterrestrials. The Voyager messages are carried by a phonograph record. The 12-inch gold-plated copper disk contains 115 images and a variety of natural sounds to demonstrate the diversity of life and culture on Earth. Enclosed please find some of the sounds.
birds:
chimpanzee: f-111 fire: first: herding: horse: kiss: morse: tame dog: volcanoes: wind:

Jovian Electron Cyclotron Emissions recorded by Voyager-2 PWS (plasma wave sensor): Jovian electron cyclotron emissions are intense narrow-banded emissions, generated by energetic electrons spiraling along the magnetic field lines of Jupiter and its magnetized moons. The frequency bands of the electron cyclotron emissions occur at harmonics or very precise multiples of the electron cyclotron frequency, a characteristic frequency of the plasma surrounding the planet. The frequencies of the electron cyclotron emission bands track the variations in the electron cyclotron frequency, which varies with the strength of the magnetic field. The resulting tones are high- pitched monotones which move up and down in frequency scale on time scales of seconds to tens of seconds. Provided by Don Gurnett. Courtesy of NASA and the University of Iowa.

Voyager-1
Mariner Jupiter/Saturn A
#10321
(1977-084A)

Voyager-1 was launched only 2 weeks after Voyager-2. Both provided communications through a high-gain antenna with a low-gain antenna for backup. The high-gain antenna supported both X-band (approx. 8420 MHz) and S-band downlink telemetry.

Sep 5th 1977

722 kg

On January 25th 2010 12:55 UTC Juan Daniel Gallego was able to use the 40m dish antenna of OAN in Yebes, Spain to receive Voyager 1 using a Perseus Software Defined receiver. At the time of reception Voyager was 16.9 billion km away which is about  3.5 times the distance between Earth and Pluto! After converting the 8.4 GHz signal down to about 3.5 MHz the beacon signal was finally demodulated using CW detection of the Perseus SDR receiver with an IF filter BW of 200 Hz. A description of the setup can be found when clicking on the icon of the dish antenna. The audio recordings below are in non compressed wav format and thus each 3 MBytes large. This allows you to analyze the audio with an FFT program like Spectrum lab in case you are interested. A spectrum capture can be seen by clicking on the icon on the right.
In the first recording you can hear the carrier of the beacon. The signal is approx. 5 dB below noise level but can be perceived by a trained (ham) ear.
In the second recording the local oscillator of the receiver is switched 50 Hz up and down in periods of a few seconds. This makes it much easier to perceive the signal by the change in pitch even by untrained ears.
Finally the third audio files contains the same signal from the beacon (no freq. switching) but compressed in time by a factor of 50 and repeated 4 times. This makes easier to appreciate the change in the Doppler shift.

Many thanks to Juan Daniel Gallego for kindly providing the recordings and screenshots.

Jovian Bow Shock recorded by Voyager-1 PWS (plasma wave sensor): All of the planets in the Solar System are embedded in the interplanetary medium known as the solar wind. The solar wind travels supersonically with respect to the slower planets at a speed of about one million miles per hour. And, just as a supersonic jet will create a sonic boom in the slower atmosphere of Earth, a bow shock is created in the solar wind in front of each planet.
Jupiter has a strong magnetic field that reaches out more than 3.5 million miles in front of the planet, providing a substantial obstacle to the flow of the solar wind. The bow shock forms at that surface in interplanetary space where the supersonic solar wind encounters the magnetic force of Jupiter and it acts to slow and deflect the solar wind. In the process, the energy of motion of the solar wind is converted to thermal energy at the bow shock, heating the particles behind the shock and creating rapid and turbulent particle motions that generate the plasma waves associated with the bow shock. When the Voyager spacecraft encountered the Jovian bow shock, there was a very sudden burst of intense, low-frequency emissions extending over a wide range of frequencies. These emissions are directly associated with the Jovian bow shock and are similar to the loud sound associated with a sonic boom. The shock noise signature is a sudden, loud, rumbling roar lasting more than a minute.
Provided by Don Gurnett. Courtesy of NASA and the University of Iowa.

Jovian Chorus recorded by Voyager-1 PWS (plasma wave sensor): Jovian chorus is generated in Jupiter's radiation belts by electrons spiraling along Jupiter's magnetic field lines in this region. Once generated, the chorus waves interact with the moving electrons, disturbing the spiral orbit of the electrons and causing them to fall into the Jupiter's ionosphere along the magnetic field lines at high latitudes. Chorus waves consist of a rapid succession of intense ascending tones, rising in frequency over very short time intervals, each tone lasting typically less than one second. The frequencies of these rising tones occur in the audio frequency range and sound like a dawn chorus of chirping birds, a sound which gives these waves their name. Provided by Don Gurnett. Courtesy of NASA and the University of Iowa.

Jovian upstream ion acoustic waves recorded by Voyager-1. Provided by Don Gurnett. Courtesy of NASA and the University of Iowa.

Jovian Whistlers recorded by Voyager-1 PWS (plasma wave sensor): Jovian whistler waves propagate at audio frequencies along closed field lines in Jupiter's magnetosphere. Like Earth whistlers, the higher frequency components of the Jovian whistler propagate faster than the lower frequency components, resulting in a descending tone that decreases rapidly in frequency over several seconds. The descending tone sounds like a high-pitched whistle. Also like Earth whistlers, Jovian whistlers are generated by lightning discharges in the atmosphere. The detection of Jovian whistlers by the Voyager spacecraft provided the first indirect evidence of lightning on the giant planet. Provided by Don Gurnett. Courtesy of NASA and the University of Iowa.

Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
#24648
(1996-062A)

Mars Global Surveyor was launched by NASA on a Delta II rocket and arrived at Mars on September the 12th 1997. The spectrum plot was recorded on April 14th 2006 on 8422.744 MHz and was kindly provided by www.uhf-satcom.com.

Nov 7th 1996

1030 kg

Cassini
#25008
(1997-061A)

&

Huygens
(1997-061C)

The Cassini Orbiter's mission consists of delivering a probe (called Huygens, provided by ESA) to Titan and then remaining in orbit around Saturn for detailed studies of the planet and its rings and satellites. The atmospheric probe Huygens landed on Saturn's moon Titan.

Oct 15th 1997

Cassini:
2523 kg

Huygens:
319 kg

This recording is a laboratory reconstruction of the sounds heard by Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument (HASI), which includes an acoustic sensor. Several sound samples, taken at different times during the descent, are here combined together and give a realistic reproduction of what a traveller on board Huygens would have heard during one minute of the descent through Titan's atmosphere on Jan 14th 2005. Source: ESA

This recording was done on July 25th 2004. Time on this recording has been compressed such that 13 seconds corresponds to 27 seconds. Since the frequencies of these emissions are well above the audio frequency range, they were shifted downward by a factor of 260. Source: NASA

2000 Cluster 2
FM6
Salsa
#26411
(2000-041B)

The Cluster II spacecraft, FM6 (Salsa), was launched together with FM7 (Samba). The four similar spacecraft of the Cluster II mission are part of ESA's and NASA's Solar-Terrestrial Science Program (STSP).

Jul 16th 2000

550 kg

Earth AKR (Auroral Kilometric Radiation) recorded in stereo by the Cluster 2 spacecraft. The four Cluster II WBD (wideband) instruments were designed and built at The University of Iowa through funding provided by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Provided by Don Gurnett. Courtesy of NASA and the University of Iowa.

Earth whistlers recorded in stereo by the Cluster 2 spacecraft. The aim of the Cluster mission is to study small-scale structures of the magentosphere and its environment in three dimensions. To achieve this, Cluster is constituted of four identical spacecrafts which fly in a tetrahedral configuration. Provided by Don Gurnett. Courtesy of NASA and the University of Iowa.

2001 Mars Odyssey
#26734
(2001-014A)

2001 Mars Odyssey was launched on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral. The spectrum plot was recorded on April 11th 2006 and was kindly provided by www.uhf-satcom.com.

Apr 7th 2001

725 kg

Mars Express
#27816
(2003-022A)

Mars Express was launched by the European Space Agency on a Soyuz-Fregat from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It included a lander called Beagle 2. It features the following communication downlinks:
X-band: 8420.43207 MHz (61.27 dBW)
S-band: 2296.481481 MHz (37.53dBW)
The used high gain antenna is a 1.6m centered parabolish dish which provides 39.3 dBi gain at X-band and 27.3 dBi at S-band.
The sound file as well as the spectrum plot were recorded on April 11
th 2006 and were kindly provided by www.uhf-satcom.com.

Jun 2nd 2003

1120 kg

Spitzer Space Telescope
#27871
(2003-038A)

Launched by NASA on a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral. It is a space-borne, cryogenically-cooled infrared observatory capable of studying objects ranging from our Solar System to the distant reaches of the Universe. The spectrum plot was recorded at 8413.626490 MHz on April 23rd 2006 and was kindly provided by www.uhf-satcom.com.

Aug 25th 2003

950 kg

Smart-1 moon Orbiter
#27949
(2003-043C)

Launched by ESA on an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou.  Mission ended September 3rd 2006 with its planned impact into moon. It transmitted at 8453.024225 MHz and at 32121.49350 MHz. The spectrum plot was recorded at 8453 MHz on August 15th 2006 and was kindly provided by www.uhf-satcom.com.

Sep 27th 2003

367 kg

Rosetta
#28169
(2004-006A)

Rosetta is is en-route to Comet 67 P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko. It transmits on 8421.790123 MHz. The spectrum plot was recorded on May 4th 2006 and was kindly provided by www.uhf-satcom.com.

Mar 2nd 2004

810 kg

Michael OH2AUE built an 8.4 GHz receiver from junk and received Rosetta using his club station 4 m dish. He webcasted the event, video of the shack and the BPSK carrier audio to other interested people. Audio recording kindly provided by Michael Fletcher OH2AUE.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)
#28788
(2005-029A)

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was launched by NASA on an Atlas V-401 from Cape Canaveral. MRO arrived at Mars on March 10th 2006. The sound file as well as the spectrum plot were recorded on December 20th 2005 when the spacecraft was 53258740 miles away from Earth. They were kindly provided by www.uhf-satcom.com.

Aug 12th 2005

2180 kg

Venus Express
#28901
(2005-045A)

Venus Express was launched by the European Space Agency on a Soyuz-Fregat from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It transmits a tracking / telemetry beacon on DSN channel 17 which is 8419.074074 MHz. The data enclosed was recorded when the probe was 4.17 million miles away. Record and spectrum plot were kindly provided by www.uhf-satcom.com.

Nov 9th 2005

1270 kg

On January 25th 2010 11:10 UTC Juan Daniel Gallego was able to use the 40m dish antenna of OAN in Yebes, Spain to receive Venus Express using a Perseus Software Defined receiver. At the time of reception Venus Express was 256 million km away ! After converting the 8.4 GHz signal down to about 3.1 MHz the beacon signal was finally demodulated using USB detection of the Perseus SDR receiver with an IF filter BW of 2.4 kHz. A description of the setup can be found when clicking on the icon of the dish antenna.

In the first recording you can hear the carrier of the beacon (changing pitch over time due to doppler effect).

In the second recording the upper sideband of the signal carrying the downlink data was demodulated.

Many thanks to Juan Daniel Gallego for kindly providing the recordings and screenshots.

New Horizons Pluto Charon
#28928
(2006-001A)

New Horizons Pluto Charon was launched by NASA on an Atlas V from Cape Canaveral and is en-route to Pluto. It transmits on 8437.894737 MHz and 8438.181818 MHz. The spectrum plot was recorded on April 12th 2006 when it was 64509465 miles away from earth. It was kindly provided by www.uhf-satcom.com.

Jan 19th 2006

393 kg

Stereo A
#29510
(2006-047A)
&
Stereo B
#29511
(2006-047B)

Stereo A & B (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) were jointly launched by NASA aboard a single Boeing Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral. They are providing 3D images of the sun.

Oct 25th 2006

642 kg
each

Stereo A transmits on 8443.5185 MHz, Stereo B transmits on 8446.2345 MHz. The spectrum plots from both spacecrafts were kindly provided by www.uhf-satcom.com.

Selene
Kaguya
#32054
(2007-039A)

SELenological and ENgineering Explorer was funded by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. This lunar orbiter mission consists of three satellites:
1.) an orbiter containing most of the scientific equipment named "Kaguya"
2.) a VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) Radio (VRAD) satellite named "Ouna"
3.) a relay satellite named "Okina" designed to receive a doppler ranging signal from the orbiter when it is around the far side of the moon out of direct contact with the Earth and transmit the signal to Earth to estimate the far-side gravitational field.

Sep 14th 2007

1984 kg

The S-band downlink of Kaguya at 2363.6 MHz was received by Michael OH2AUE using only a bent paper clip as the antenna. This is to show what is possible with even such a small/simple antenna: the signal is really weak but you can clearly identify it especially at the end of the recording. Recorded on December 18th 2007 by Michael OH2AUE.

Here is a spectrum plot recorded by Paul M0YET on November 14th 2008 at 21:12 UTC. Please note the excellent signal quality: he achieved more than 30 dB SNR using a 7 Hz bandwidth.

Kepler
Discovery 10
#34380
(2009-011A)

NASA's Kepler Mission is to survey our region of the Milky Way galaxy to discover hundreds of Earth-size and smaller planets in or near the habitable zone and determine how many of the billions of stars in our galaxy have such planets. It includes a 0.95m aperture differential photometer with a 105° FOV. Kepler was launched on March 6th 2009 from Cape Canaveral/Florida on a Delta rocket into an Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit.

Mar 6th 2009

1000 kg

Kepler uses the following communication links:
- Uplink X-band: 7.8125 bps up to 2 kbps
- Downlink X-band: 10 bps up to 16 kbps, antenna gain is 6.5dB, transmit power is 14dBW, activated twice a week for commanding, health and status.
- Downlink Ka-band: up to 4.33125 Mbps, antenna gain is 46.6dB, transmit power is 14dBW, activated once a month for science data download.

The X-band downlink was received by Paul Marsh on March 8th 2009. The FFT was received in a 5KHz b/w of the 8424.476 MHz downlink at 19:18 UTC on March 8th 2009.

The Ka-band downlink was received by Paul Marsh on April 29th 2009 who had put together a 32GHz down converter from commonly available parts and then used a SDR-14 FFT receiver from RF-Space.
The first FFT was received in a 5KHz b/w of the 32166.1711 MHz downlink at 19:41UTC on April 29th 2009 while the space-probe was about 3226045 Miles away from Earth.
The second FFT was received in a 3KHz b/w of the 32166.1653 MHz downlink at 21:27UTC on April 29th 2009 while the space-probe was about 3226445 Miles away from Earth.
Note: The FFT shows the drift due to doppler shift and a slight wobble in the carrier which is caused by Paul's receiver: the GPS reference oscillators 10MHz output is being multiplied 3420 times to generate the 34.2GHz local oscillator. Therefore a very slight wobble in the GPS control loop is strongly amplified.

Herschel
(FIRST)
 #34937
(2009-026A)

Herschel Space Observatory carries the largest space telescope ever launched before. Herschel was launched together with Planck on an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou / French Guiana. From a point in space called the 2nd Lagrangian Point (or L2), its 3.5-m diameter mirror will collect long-wavelength infrared radiation from some of the coolest and most distant objects in the Universe. Herschel was received by Paul Marsh when its distance to Earth was only ~170,000 Miles. The downlink frequency was 8468.454MHz. The first FFT plot shows the tail end of a coherent locking cycle. On the second plot sidebands carrying data can clearly be seen. Received on May 15th 2009 at 22:25 UTC by Paul Marsh.

May 14th 2009

3300kg

Planck
#34938
(2009-026B)

Planck was launched together with Herschel on an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou / French Guiana. In the lower picture on the left you can see it is located below Herschel. The Planck satellite will observe the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB). This is the radiation released into the Universe by the Big Bang about 14 thousand million years ago.
Planck carries a telescope with an effective aperture of 1.5 m that feeds microwave radiation to two instruments:
1.) High Frequency Instrument (HFI) which is an array of 52 bolometric detectors and will image the sky at six frequencies between 100 GHz and 857 GHz.
2.) Low Frequency Instrument (LFI) which is an array of 22 tuned radio receivers and images the sky at three frequencies between 30 GHz and 70 GHz.
Downlink frequency was 8468.454MHz, the FFT below shows the tail end of a coherent locking cycle. The distance to the probe is only ~170,000 Miles. The FFT's below are from the IF frequency, simply add 8GHz to get the receive frequency. In the second plot the data sidebands can be seen. Received on May 15th 2009 at 22:04 UTC by Paul Marsh.

May 14th 2009

1800 kg

Picture

Object name
#NORAD

Remarks

Launch
Date

Weight

If you have further sound tracks from space objects please let me know. I will be happy to post them here on my homepage. Many thanks in advance.

Vy 55 & 73 de Matthias DD1US               


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