In space, they say, no one can hear your scream — but at certain points in our solar system, you might be able to pick up some Missy Elliot. NASA has recently made special use of its communication system, called the Deep Space Network, by sending the lyrics of Missy Elliot’s song The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) to Venus.
The transmission was sent over 150 million miles away, on a journey that took 14 minutes traveling at the speed of light. The test used the Deep Space Station 13 dish located in California, which is 34 meters (112 feet) wide, ahead of planned NASA missions to Venus in the late 2020s and early 2030s.
“Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art have been about pushing boundaries,” said Brittany Brown, director of NASA’s Digital and Technology, who came up with the idea of using Elliott’s track. “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.”
Previous song-related space endeavors include NASA sending The Beatles’ Across the Universe into space in 2008, which also used the Deep Space Network and was part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of NASA’s founding, and an experiment that was part of South Korea’s first lunar mission and tested a wireless communication system using K-pop band BTS’s song Dynamite.
Elliott was chosen for this test for her love of all things cosmic as well as her great tunes, and she was enthusiastic about her songs reaching Venus, which she described as her favorite planet.
“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!” she said. “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!”