Iconic Song Travels 158 Million Miles in Space Tribute
In an extraordinary feat, NASA has transmitted Missy Elliott’s iconic song “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” to Venus, marking a significant cultural milestone. The song took nearly 14 minutes to travel approximately 158 million miles to the planet, NASA announced on Monday.
A celestial collaboration
The transmission was sent via radio antennas near Barstow, California, which are typically used for tracking spacecraft and communicating with missions. This unique event highlights Elliott’s influence and symbolic connection to themes of strength, beauty, and empowerment.
“My song ‘The Rain’ has officially been transmitted all the way to Venus, the planet that symbolizes strength, beauty, and empowerment,” Elliott shared on X. “The sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.”
Historical and cultural significance
This is only the second time NASA has transmitted a song into space, following The Beatles’ “Across the Universe,” sent to the North Star, Polaris, in 2008. The choice to send Elliott’s song underscores her status as a singular artist on Earth.
NASA’s decision was influenced by Elliott’s frequent use of space iconography in her work, as acknowledged by Brittany Brown, a director in NASA’s communications office.
“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,” Brown said.
Legacy and recognition
While song transmissions to space are rare, NASA has a history of sending music to the cosmos. The Voyager 1 and 2 missions in 1977 included a gold-plated copper phonograph record featuring diverse sounds and images from Earth.
Elliott’s career continues to receive accolades on Earth. In 2019, she became the first woman hip-hop artist inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2023, she became the first female rapper inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her home state of Virginia even named a street after her.
Elliott’s upcoming 2024 North American tour, “Out of This World,” features her in futuristic costumes, reminiscent of ‘80s space movies. Her space-themed visuals extend back to her 1997 debut album’s music video for “Sock It 2 Me,” set in a cartoonish galaxy.
NASA’s transmission of “The Rain” to Venus is a first for the agency, but for Missy Elliott, it’s another chapter in her already stellar journey through the cosmos.