Nasa has opened a channel on Soundcloud, the social network used primarily by singers and bands to upload audio files of their songs. Nasa, however, has decided to fill the channel with extraordinary sounds from the universe and with conversations that have made history for the American space agency, collected over 56 years of activity.

The page contains dialogues between the crews of various space flights and the famous American Nasa base located in Houston, Texas. It also features sounds captured by satellites launched into orbit to listen to noises coming from distant planets, and some of the most famous quotes ever spoken.

All the tracks can be downloaded — indeed, Nasa has also "floated" the idea of using them as a smartphone ringtone. Below is a small selection of the most famous tracks:

"That's one small step for man…"

Astronaut Neil Armstrong's words are perhaps the most famous phrase ever spoken from space. Or rather, from the Moon. Armstrong uttered these words ("That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind") on 21 July 1969, when Apollo 11 touched the lunar surface for the very first time. Also famous are the compliments the crew received upon their return to Earth. Armstrong and his colleague Buzz Aldrin spent a total of 21 hours and 36 minutes on the Moon.

"Houston, we have a problem"

From this official recording, however, one can hear that the actual phrase spoken by pilot Jack Swigert on 13 April 1970 was "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem." Apollo 13 was meant to be the third American space mission to land on the Moon, but it never happened: after 55 hours of travel, the shuttle suffered a malfunction that forced the crew into a rather complicated return journey, made famous by Ron Howard's film.

"To infinity and beyond"

Here they are, gathered in a set entitled Solar System & Beyond Sounds, a collection of sounds from the solar system "and beyond." Star wars have nothing on this.