![]() ![]() but even now being 30 years older than when I first dreamt about it, I still remain a Rocket Man and I still want to fly. I have been one of the very fortunate who had the chance to actually do so twice. Frank says: "I'm a rocket man! Since the first lift-off of the Space Shuttle Columbia, I wanted to fly rockets. He was the first European astronaut to command an International Space Station Expedition. "In May this year, I'll be listening to "Rocket Man" together with Charlie Duke (who flew Apollo 16 in 1972 when "Rocket Man" was released) and we'll give a joint conference in the middle of the Pacific!"įrank De Winne is a Belgian ESA astronaut who flew twice in space, on Soyuz TMA-1 in 2002 and Soyuz TMA-15 in 2009. Only the hope for a better world counts, resulting from increased knowledge from your contribution to science." But if you think of your role as a pioneer, as an explorer 'going boldly where no one has gone before' for the benefit of humankind, then time doesn't count. Yes, a trip to Mars would feel long if you just think of the things to do each day. But if you shut off all lights in the cockpit, then the sky becomes bright with stars (not twinkling) and you feel part of the whole Universe. The blackness of the sky (when eyes are not adjusted to darkness in the cockpit and you can't see any stars) contrasts with the joyful colours of Earth, which you can't stop to admire and feel part of. "Space adventure is a paradoxical mix of loneliness and of globalness. Jean-Francois Clervoy, who flew three times in space on the Space Shuttle (STS-66, STS-84, STS-103) describes life as a real-life Rocket Man: "I took CDs of Elton John, one of my favourite artists, three times into space (there were no MP3s at the time of my missions) and for sure "Rocket Man" was one of the songs I've listened to each time with great feeling." Since Elton got in touch, several of the ESA astronauts have written down their thoughts about the song. I send my best wishes to ESA and all the crew, and my thanks for keeping those boyhood dreams alive." "Now, 40 years later, it's amazing to hear from the astronauts at the European Space Agency that they like the song and that it has been on the playlist on the International Space Station. It was thrilling to find that real astronauts liked our song, Rocket Man, which was about an imaginary astronaut." "Not long after the Rocket Man single was released, my band and I were invited to the NASA headquarters in Texas and shown around by Al Worden, Apollo 15 command module pilot. 'Rocket Man' - and indeed 'Dan Dare' on the Rock of the Westies album - came from those boyhood dreams of travelling beyond the stars and looking back on Earth." "Our generation was smitten with the glory and excitement of space travel. Bernie and I did not meet until 1967, and two years after we met, Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on to the moon." I was 14 years old when Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space my songwriting partner Bernie Taupin was just 11. "When I was a boy Dan Dare was a comic book hero, and space travel just a romantic idea, not a reality. Hearing about "Rocket Man" being played in space, Elton sent the following special message to ESA, André and the crew of the ISS: The ESA has since created a video combining images from the space station with Elton's live version of "Rocket Man," and it can be viewed here: So on April 17, the exact anniversary of its release around the world, Elton played the song during his Million Dollar Piano Show in Las Vegas, and Yamaha Entertainment Group was there to capture the moment on film so it could be sent to the astronauts at the European Space Agency. It is certainly one of the most played songs here on the ISS, and we know it will accompany more astronauts into space in the future." André said, "This song has been an inspiration to many people who are interested in space, and especially those who wanted to become astronauts, including myself. In April, 2012, Elton was told that European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut André Kuipers had made a special point of playing "Rocket Man" over the airwaves of the International Space Station (ISS) on the song's fortieth anniversary. ![]() ![]() Forty years ago, in 1972, Elton John's single "Rocket Man" was released around the world. ![]()
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