In recent years, the likes of SpaceX and Virgin Galactic have challenged the capabilities of space exploration, and 2022 promised to be the greatest year yet. On the surface, radio and space might not sound like an obvious match. But as one national station has just proved, they can sometimes combine to achieve record breaking success.
Last Monday, Fun Kids Radio – a national children’s and pop digital radio station – broke a Guinness World Record when it beamed the first radio programme into deep space.
Deep space exploration is described as the branch of astronomy, astronautics and space technology that’s involved with exploring the distant regions of outer space.
The idea which was coined “Mission Transmission” was launched into the galaxy from the Royal Observatory, in Greenwich London.
Tim Peake – formerly a crew member on the International Space Station – attended the event, which was simultaneously broadcast live across the UK.
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The broadcast was sent as a radio signal – a type of light wave – capable of travelling up to 299,792,458 metres per second – the speed of light.
Within 1.3 seconds, the audio passed the moon. The same journey was completed by the Apollo 11 spacecraft in 76 hours.
Meanwhile, it’s estimated that it will take 2.5 million years for the signal to exit the Milky Way and reach the next galaxy.
