SOUND SCIENCE
Listen to the sounds of the cosmos
NASA satellite data,
transformed into sound.
NASA data, transformed into sound
Measurements from the Parker Solar Probe, MMS, and Wind spacecraft, turned into audio with NASA's CDAWeb. Hear a coronal mass ejection, a proton cyclotron wave storm, and the dawn chorus of Earth's magnetosphere.
NASA Video · Data audification & video production by Robert Alexander
Sound as story
Space physics doesn't just become audible. It becomes narration, soundtrack, and immersive experience.
golden hour
ft. The Sun
Robert audified NASA satellite recordings of the Sun's magnetic field. JVKE heard those sounds and built a new version of his hit golden hour around them for Magnum at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
Magnum · JVKE · Solar sounds by Robert Alexander
Play the Sun
Instruments built from real NASA satellite data. Press play, then click the grid.
Solar Sequencer
A rhythmic pattern generator using audified satellite data as source material. Click cells to change the beat.
Solar Synth
A wavetable synthesizer that loads audified satellite data as oscillator sources. Play the magnetosphere.
What am I hearing?
Every sound on this page started as a spacecraft measurement. No synthesizer presets, just the Sun and Earth's magnetic field.
Instruments from the SONARA project
Dr. Robert Alexander
NASA Fellow · Ph.D. Design Science · Sound artist & producer
NASA
Festival de Cannes
UC San Diego
Clarke Center
Space Science Institute
University of Michigan
Breathscape
Robert works with individuals and organizations looking to explore sound in new ways. From one-on-one mentorship to full-scale productions.