NASA has achieved a historical feat by broadcasting American rapper Missy Elliott’s debut single ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)‘ into space. The track became the first hip hop song to be transmitted towards Venus, reaching the planet after travelling 254 million kilometres at light speed. This achievement was made possible by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory based in Southern California, which broadcasted the song at 10:05 AM (PDT) on July 12, and was picked up by the Deep Space Station 13 (DSS-13) radio dish antenna, also known as Venus, coincidentally.
Missy Elliott’s attachment to Venus was confirmed by NASA as the artist’s favourite planet. According to the official statement released by the space agency, the song was transmitted to Venus “to celebrate the recent discovery of phosphine gas there – a key biosignature discovery.” On Twitter, Missy Elliott shared her excitement about the unprecedented achievement. The rapper wrote, “My song ‘The Rain’ has officially been transmitted all the way to Venus, the planet that symbolizes strength, beauty and empowerment. The sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.”
NASA’s transmission of a hip hop song into space is part of a growing trend in recent years, seeking to combine popular culture with exploration science. In 2018, NASA transmitted Speedy Ortiz’s song ‘Lucky 88’ towards a star system named GJ 273; the band also included a message of goodwill in their transmission. With the achievement of broadcasting Missy Elliott’s iconic song into space, NASA has celebrated the influence of hip hop culture worldwide and explored new ways of reaching out to the cosmos
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