First Light of Dawn- Mission 1
From it's launch on September 27th, 2007, the DAWN satellite has amazed astronomers with it's flawless mission. Using it's ion propulsion drive and with an assist from the gravity of Mars in February 2009, DAWN arrived at the protoplanet Vesta in July 2011. For a year DAWN hovered over Vesta, studying and sending incredible pictures and data to Earth scientists. Then DAWN was off again, for a rendezvous with the protoplanet Ceres in 2015. This is a celebration of the first part of DAWN's mission, and a celebration of the men and women who made it happen.
Inspired by the DAWN Mission by NASA, this album takes the listener on a musical journey that harmonizes with the satellite's first leg, the mission to Vesta. The craft went to Ceres after visiting Vesta, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit two extraterrestrial destinations.
More on this exciting mission which ended on
November 1st, 2018, can be learned here:
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/dawn/overview/
Never released as an album due to timing issues with the release date, "First Light of Dawn- Mission 1" is now available for download and streaming! The music of "First Light" takes the listener right through the first stage of this historic journey. Starting with the launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida, to the ion propulsion drives gentle push and the landmark orbit of Vesta, the first orbit around an object in the main asteroid belt of the Solar System, the music guides us through the eventual release from orbit and onward towards dwarf planet Ceres.
"What an adventure this mission was for NASA! I was very inspired when researching it and the music just flowed," says Paul of this album. "I even got original recordings of the actual countdown by George H. Diller and the 'play-by-play' by telemetry engineer Marc Lavigne. These are the authentic voices that launched DAWN. A huge thank-you to them and NASA for the use of their voices."
This music has many atmospheres and auras, necessary to encompass the huge diversity of the steps that turned this mission from a dream...
to success!
Listen from beginning to end and "First Light of Dawn- Mission 1" will rouse you look to the heavens and appreciate the genius of the women and men of the various space programs around the world, learning and exploring, kindling that inner adventurer in all of us.
"First Light of Dawn- Mission 1" now available for streaming and download from:
To hear selected tracks from "First Light of Dawn- Mission 1", select a track above and press Play.
As always, if you are interested in using Paul's music for your production, please use the contact form. You will find a VAST variety of music available to you, including many, many pieces and parts not featured on this website. From needle-drops and incidental music to whole orchestrated pieces and everything in between, Paul has an ever-expending library of music and sounds, including custom pieces, perfect for your project.
Notes on Dawn:
1. First Light of Dawn- Catch the excitement of the launch of the Dawn Mission. Just the lift-off.
2. Dawn in the Delta- Featuring the actual audio from the flight engineers, this is Dawn being put into orbit from after lift-off.
3. The Voyage Continues- After the noise and excitement of the launch, comes the quiet of the dark, cold, lonely voyage to Vesta.
4. Ares Hands- Getting a gravity assist from our neighbor Mars.
5. Perihelion- The point in the journey that is closest to the sun.
6. Xenon Ion- Celebrating the use of the ion drive to propel Dawn. Science fiction turns science fact!
7. Graceful Spirals- Instead of the intense speeds and burns of conventional drives, the ion drive let Dawn make graceful spirals towards its destination. Piano solo.
8. Vesta Approaches- Slow and steady, here comes the destination!
9. Rheasilvia- This is the largest impact crater on Vesta, named after the mother of Romulus and Remus. It is one of the tallest mountains in the solar system.
10 Divalia Fossa- Giant tectonic troughs in the equatorial area on Vesta. This song is an impression of the gentle movements of Dawn over the vast landscape feature.
11. Vestoids- The class of asteroid to which Vesta belongs.
12. Fair Thee Well- Time to continue the journey, from Vesta and on to Ceres. Goodbye Vesta.
13. To The Voyage- The Trip is not over, there is more to discover and learn!
14. The Land Yet To Come- Looking forward to Ceres, the focus turns forward, no looking back.