In a cosmic first for hip-hop, NASA beamed Missy Elliott's iconic song "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" to Venus, marking a unique intersection of music, technology, and space exploration.
On Friday, July 12th, at 10:05 a.m. PDT, NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), a global network of giant radio antennas, transmitted the inspirational message and lyrics from Elliott's hit song to the planet Venus. This transmission makes history as only the second time the DSN has beamed music into space, the first being The Beatles' "Across the Universe."
"Both space exploration and Missy Elliott's art have been about pushing boundaries," said Brittany Brown, director, Digital and Technology Division, Office of Communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington, who spearheaded the collaboration with Elliott's team. "Missy has a track record of infusing space-centric storytelling and futuristic visuals in her music videos, so the opportunity to collaborate on something out of this world is truly fitting."
The transmission, sent from the 112-foot wide Deep Space Station 13 (DSS-13), nicknamed "Venus," located in California, travelled approximately 158 million miles at the speed of light, reaching Venus in roughly 14 minutes.
The choice of Venus as the recipient was no accident. "I still can't believe I'm going out of this world with NASA through the Deep Space Network when 'The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)' becomes the first ever hip-hop song to transmit to space!" said Elliott. "I chose Venus because it symbolizes strength, beauty, and empowerment and I am so humbled to have the opportunity to share my art and my message with the universe!"
This celestial collaboration coincides with two upcoming NASA missions to Venus: DAVINCI, slated for launch in 2029, and VERITAS, scheduled for 2031. Both missions will rely on the DSN to transmit critical data back to Earth.
The DSN, operational since 1963, plays a vital role in NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program, enabling communication with spacecraft exploring the depths of our solar system.