NASA has achieved a first in history by beaming a hip-hop song directly into space.Beaming a song to Venus with the DSN method, NASA announced that the primary communication system for deep space missions was successfully tested. It was also the first time in history that a song was played in the vacuum of space.
NASA played hip-hop on Venus for the first time
On July 12, Missy Elliott’s 1997 song The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) was released into space. The song, transmitted using the Deep Space Network (DSN), was played on Venus, 108 million kilometers away. Artist Missy Elliott is known for her commitment to space.
The DSN, NASA’s primary communication system for space missions, communicates using huge radio antennas around the world. Most recently, a 34-meter dish was used to send frequencies to Venus at the speed of light.
Elliott said, “I still can’t believe that I have traveled outside the Earth through NASA and the Deep Space Network.” Elliott asked for her song to be beamed to Venus and said that the planet “symbolizes strength, beauty and empowerment” for her.
NASA Administrator Brittany Brown emphasized the importance of this collaboration. She said they were sharing the inspiration from Earth with the Solar System. “We wanted to push the boundaries of both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art,” she said.
By sending the first hip-hop song into deep space, NASA has also tested DSN, which plays an important role in interplanetary communication.