NASA beams Missy Elliott’s hip-hop song to Venus | Science News

This is the first time a hip-hop song has been transmitted into space.

Illustration of the surface of Venus. (Image credit: NASA).

New Delhi: For the first time, NASA has sent a hip-hop song into space. “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” by Missy Elliott was sent toward Venus on July 12 by NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), which is operated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. In 2008, the DSN sent its first song into space: “Across the Universe” by the Beatles, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the recording and NASA’s 50th anniversary.

The song traveled 254 kilometers from Earth to Venus, the artist’s favorite planet. The radio frequency signal took 14 minutes to make the jump. The song was transmitted from the 34-meter-wide parabolic antenna of Deep Space Station 13 (SDSS), which is located in the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow, California. Venus is also the name of DSS13.

NASA on the way to Venus

Missy Elliott says, “I still can’t believe I’m leaving this world with NASA via the Deep Space Network when “The Rain” (Supa Dupa Fly) is the first ever hip hop song to be transmitted into space! I chose Venus because she symbolizes strength, beauty and empowerment and I’m so humbled to have the opportunity to share my art and message with the universe!”

The director of NASA’s Digital and Technology Division, who originally proposed the idea, says: “Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art are about pushing boundaries. Missy has often incorporated space-centric storytelling and futuristic imagery in her music videos, so the opportunity to collaborate on something out of the ordinary is really fitting.”

In 2021, NASA selected two missions to explore Venus and send data to Earth using the DSN. The first of these two missions is the Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging (DAVINCI) probe, scheduled for launch no earlier than 2029, and the second is the Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy (VERITAS) mission, scheduled for launch no earlier than 2031.