Poster Astronaut Cady Coleman
Astronaut Cady Coleman shows off her flute and tin whistle in the International Space Station.
NASA

Out of this world: Remembering the first space-Earth musical duet

On Oct. 18, 2019, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir became the first astronauts to complete an all-woman spacewalk when they replaced a battery controller on the International Space Station.

This walk emphasizes how much has changed in space exploration since the first spacewalk in 1965, as more women are pursuing careers in STEM fields and gender equity and inclusion are being brought to the forefront in science.

Another first currently making waves is a resurfaced video that features astronaut Cady Coleman and Jethro Tull flutist Ian Anderson performing the first space-Earth duet.

The duo performed a portion of "Bourée," an arrangement that Jethro Tull actually performed on its 1969 tour, as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first stepped on the moon.

Coleman, an amateur musician, told NPR in 2011 that "it's neat to float around and not know quite where you are, but still be creating your own little world with music."

Coleman and Anderson's duet helped prove that music really is a "universal" language.

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