"Houston, we've had a problem."
That famed phrase spoken by Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell in 1970 is one of more than 100 NASA audio files from historic spaceflights, current missions and even sounds of the future … sounds that you can easily download to your phone.
You can hear the roar of a space shuttle launch, snippets of President John F. Kennedy's declaration to reach for the moon, or Neil Armstrong's "One small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind" every time you get a phone call. Or, you can hear those anxious words from Apollo 13, "Houston, we've had a problem," every time you make an error on your computer.
NASA has made available MP3 and M4R (iPhone) sound files to download. The M4R files must be downloaded and imported via iTunes. They will not play in your browser.
Check out the menu of NASA sounds available for download to phones, tablets, and computers. Go to: http://www.nasa.gov/connect/sounds/#.VONiKC6fXdX
Leonard David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades. He is former director of research for the National Commission on Space and is co-author of Buzz Aldrin's 2013 book "Mission to Mars – My Vision for Space Exploration," published by National Geographic, with a new updated paperback version to be released in May. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+.
