March 5, 2008

Music Heading ‘Out of this World’


The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is Europe's new supply vessel for the International Space Station (ISS). The very first ATV, Jules Verne, is scheduled to launch from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, early in the morning of Sunday 9 March 2008.



Winner of the ATV competition




The panel of judges, which included ESA astronaut Jean-FranÃƒ§ois Clervoy, called Therese's playlist "a wonderful mixture of songs that are 'out of this world'".

How did the playlist come about?

When asked how she came up with the playlist, Therese says: "I actually didn't think very hard about the tracks, I just chose the ones that came into my mind and that seemed to fit."

The list includes music that was recorded long before Therese was born. How did she think up those tracks? "I don't listen to only one type of music or just new music," says Therese. "I listen to a lot of different music."

Therese's launch prize

As the winner of the ATV competition, Therese and her family will be travelling to Europe's Spaceport. Here they will watch as Jules Verne ATV soars into the sky in the morning of the 9 March 2008.

The trip also includes a visit to Devil's Islands, a former penal colony which is now a national heritage site for French Guiana.

It is, however, the visit to the European Spaceport and the launch of ATV which Therese is most looking forward to experiencing. "I will take a lot of pictures of the launch," the young Norwegian says enthusiastically.

A personal interest

Therese found the ATV competition while browsing the internet for space news. "I read space news and space science out of a personal interest," she says. "I'm not sure how the interest started. I just began reading articles about space because it was fun."

The history of the space race between the US and the Soviet Union holds a special fascination for Therese. "But I also enjoy reading about present day space exploration and the plans of future flights to the Moon and Mars."



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