40th Anniversary of “Rocket Man” Celebrated on ISS

Album cover for Rocket Man by Elton John (Credits: Mercury Records).

Sir Elton John’s classic song “Rocket Man” turned 40 on April 17. In celebration, he created the video below, sending it to the International Space Station.

“This song has been an inspiration to many people who are interested in space, and especially those who wanted to become astronauts, including myself,” said André Kuipers, ESA astronaut currently aboard ISS. “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.”

John was a fan of space travel from his comic book days as a child. He was 14 years old when Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. “It was thrilling to find that real astronauts liked our song, Rocket Man, which was about an imaginary astronaut,” he said. “I send my best wishes to ESA and all the crew, and my thanks for keeping those boyhood dreams alive.”