SpaceX Astronaut, Who Is Also a Violinist, Leads ‘Special’ Charity Musical Performance from Orbit

The Polaris Program teamed up with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and El Sistema USA for what they call "the Harmony of Resilience"

<p>Polaris Program/X</p> Sarah Gillis

Polaris Program/X

Sarah Gillis

A SpaceX astronaut has helped take music to new heights, recording a very special song in space to support kids in need.

The Polaris Program said it has teamed up with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and El Sistema USA to create what they call the “Harmony of Resilience,” a space-based performance “inspired by the universal language of music and the relentless fight against childhood cancers and diseases.”

Sarah Gillis, a Polaris Dawn crewmember and violinist, was among dozens of other musicians performed “Rey’s Theme” by John Williams from Star Wars: The Force Awakens for a performance that she said “symbolizes unity and hope, highlighting the resilience and potential of children everywhere.”

The song was “recorded in space and sent to Earth” through SpaceX’s Starlink constellation.

“As we travel around our beautiful Earth on this five-day mission, we wanted to share this special music moment with you,” Gillis said in a clip shared on SpaceX’s page on X (formerly Twitter).

<p>CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty</p> A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2024

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2024

Gillis, who serves as Lead Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX, was “raised from a young age to be a classical violinist,” according to Polaris Dawn’s website.

But while in high school, the Colorado native’s mentor and former NASA astronaut Joe Tanner “encouraged her to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering” — which she pursued in college alongside a dance degree.

In 2015, Gillis started an internship at SpaceX, and later moved into a full-time position with the astronaut training program. But her passion for music did not subside.

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Now, Gillis’ passions for music and space are meshing on her latest spacewalk with the “Harmony of Resilience,” which was “created with the hope of inspiring the next generation to look towards the stars.”

“This partnership is grounded in a shared belief in the power of human resilience and pursuit of extraordinary goals,” Polaris Dawn said in a statement on its website.

<p>Polaris Program/X</p> SpaceX Astronaut Sarah Gillis performs the 'Harmony of Resilience' while in space

Polaris Program/X

SpaceX Astronaut Sarah Gillis performs the 'Harmony of Resilience' while in space

Related: Meet the 4 Civilian Astronauts Hoping to Make History with Polaris Dawn, Going Deeper Into Space Than Anyone in Years

The astronauts on the historic Polaris Dawn mission went about 870 miles from Earth, making them the farthest crewed space mission since the Apollo 17 moon mission in 1972, according to Vox and Space.com.

Two astronauts on the crew completed a commercial spacewalk on Thursday, testing out new, slimmer space suits in the process, according to The Guardian.

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