Missy Elliott makes history as the first artist to have her song sent to Venus

“YOOO this is crazy! We just went #OutOfThisWorld with NASA and sent the FIRST hip hop song into space via the Deep Space Network,” announced Missy Elliott. “My song ‘The Rain’ has officially been transmitted to Venus, the planet that symbolizes strength, beauty and empowerment. The sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.”

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California sent the transmission 158 million miles (254 million kilometers) from Earth to Venus at the speed of light, with the radio frequency signal taking about 14 minutes to reach its destination. After the Beatles, Missy Elliott is now the second artist to have the honor of sending a song into space.

YOOO this is crazy! We just left #Heavenly with @NASA and sent the FIRST hip hop song into space via the Deep Space Network. My song “The Rain” was officially transmitted to Venus, the planet that symbolizes strength, beauty and empowerment. Heaven is… pic.twitter.com/g6HofNQSt1

— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) July 15, 2024

Brittany Brown, the director of digital and technology in NASA’s Office of Communications, was responsible for pitching the idea to Missy Elliott’s team. “Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art have always been about pushing boundaries,” she said. “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.”