Next Wednesday on 18th November, NASA's Voyager 1 space probe will reach the historic “one light‑day” distance from Earth.

Launched in September 1977 and equipped with technology that's now almost 50 years old, it is incredible that its instruments are still working ! Travelling at a current speed of roughly 17 kilometres a second, about 61,000 kilometres an hour, which is momentum it gathered from the planets it swung past, and it has held that pace since its last encounter, with Saturn, in 1980. As of next Wednesday communication with the craft will take at least a full 24 hours to both send and receive. 

The craft is carrying a 'time capsule' Golden Record as a collection of Earth's sounds and music. Obviously that music is also now 50 years old. See more info here. 

Not on that Golden Record, today's Star Track may however sound familiar, though not necessarily this original version. A Canadian group formed in 1973 by the duo of John Woloschuk and Dee Long, named themselves after the ambassador Klaatu, from an extraterrestrial confederation who visits Earth with his companion robot Gort in the 1951 film 'The Day the Earth Stood Still'. 

Klaatu released their first album '3:47 EST' in 1976 featuring a track written by band members John Woloschuk and Terry Draper - 'Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft'. (The Carpenters had a bit hit with their version).  

Rumours surrounded Klaatu, with their lack of lack of artist and producer credits or photographs, their avoidance of public performances, and the fact that the group's vocal and musical style was reminiscent of another famous group. A 1977 article by American journalist Steve Smith speculated that '3:47 EST' could actually be a release by a secretly-reunited Beatles recording under a pseudonym ? I'll let you explore these stories yourself.

This is a video edited version of the full album track, which is over seven minutes long. 

Here's a link to the whole album '3:47 EST' including the full length track > click on