SPACE.com Columnist Leonard David

Now Hear This! NASA Sounds Available for Download

Apollo 11 Bootprint on the Moon
A bootprint made during the Apollo 11 mission is visible on the moon's surface. (Image credit: nasa, sounds, downloads, sound files, audio files, famous sounds, words, dialogue, quotes, spaceflight, human spaceflight)

"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+.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Leonard David
Space Insider Columnist

Leonard David is an award-winning space journalist who has been reporting on space activities for more than 50 years. Currently writing as Space.com's Space Insider Columnist among his other projects, Leonard has authored numerous books on space exploration, Mars missions and more, with his latest being "Moon Rush: The New Space Race" published in 2019 by National Geographic. He also wrote "Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet" released in 2016 by National Geographic. Leonard  has served as a correspondent for SpaceNews, Scientific American and Aerospace America for the AIAA. He was received many awards, including the first Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History in 2015 at the AAS Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium. You can find out Leonard's latest project at his website and on Twitter.