### ESA to Broadcast Strauss II's "Blue Danube" Waltz into Space

In a unique blend of classical music and space exploration, Johann Strauss II's celebrated orchestral piece "By the Beautiful Blue Danube" will gain a literal connection to the cosmos this week. The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to broadcast the iconic waltz into space, commemorating both the 50th anniversary of their establishment and the 200th birthday of Strauss.

The highlight of this celestial event will be a live performance by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra on Saturday. To facilitate the broadcast, a sophisticated radio antenna based in Spain, measuring approximately 115 feet across, will beam the music into space. This antenna primarily supports European missions studying Mars, mapping stars, and capturing detailed images of the sun, but will pause its scientific duties for this musical venture.

"The absence of the most famous of all waltzes from the 1977 Voyager Golden Record is a cosmic mistake," stated Norbert Kettner, director of the Vienna Tourist Board. This oversight is now being rectified with the upcoming transmission. The Voyager 1 probe, which did not carry "Blue Danube" but included a piece by another renowned Austrian composer, Mozart, is the intended target of the broadcast. Though Voyager 1 exited the solar system in 2012, the transmitted music will surpass it in just 23 hours, traveling at the speed of light.

Josef Aschbacher, director general of the ESA, said, "This demonstrates that our technology can transmit not only scientific data but also human art over long distances." Indeed, this initiative is part of a broader tradition of beaming music into space; last year, NASA transmitted Missy Elliott's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" to Venus, and in 2008, they sent The Beatles' "Across the Universe" into deep space.

This week's event promises to be a remarkable fusion of culture and technology, expanding humanity's footprint in the universe through the universal language of music. As the "Blue Danube" waltz dances among the stars, it marks a fitting tribute to both the legacy of Johann Strauss II and the pioneering spirit of space exploration.