Jack White to "Make Vinyl History" by Playing a Record in Outer Space?

Published Jul 20, 2016

Shuttle-based space programs are passe at this point , leavening some to wonder how to get us back interested in the stars above. This includes the good folks at Third Man Records , who seem to be teasing a vinyl announcement of cosmic proportions.A teaser video was posted through the Third Man Records website yesterday (July 19), which explains that "Third Man Records is going to make vinyl history again" on July 30. Not much has been explained beyond that, but the space-set video caps with the sight of the Third Man-delivered copy of Carl Sagan's "A Glorious Dawn" 7-inch floating our way. The record had been issued in 2009 to mark what would have been the astronomer and Cosmos host's 75th birthday.Though it's as yet unclear what's on the horizon, the Vinyl Factory offers up the theory that label founder Jack White may be gearing up to launch a record into space. The idea isn't that far off-base, as an interview between White and astronaut Buzz Aldrin from 2012 had the musician explain that Third Man was already in the midst of prepping a an interstellar listening party."We have a secret project at Third Man where we want to have the first vinyl record played in outer space," he had told Aldrin in thepiece. "We want to launch a balloon that carries a vinyl record player, and possibly that Carl Sagan record, and figure out a way to drop the needle with all that turbulence up there and ensure that it will still play."Beyond the years-old plan, this would also seems like a natural progression from that time White was sending out copies of his own "Freedom at 21" single across North America via helium balloons . The records, it could be noted, would later command astronomical prices on eBay Though we've got over a week to ponder what could be going down — or, rather, up — you can check out the teaser trailer for Third Man's announcement below.