Why NASA sent a Missy Elliot song to Venus

By Dean Murray via SWNS

Rapper Missy Elliot has been sent to Venus .

Lyrics to the American star's song “The Rain (Supa Dup a Fly)” were transmitted from California's Deep Space Network's (DSN) Goldstone complex - making it the first hip-hop track to do so.

The song traveled a distance of about 158 million miles (254 million kilometers) from Earth to the artist’s favorite planet .

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) says the song was chosen for its "inspirational message and lyrics".

JPL says: "As the largest and most sensitive telecommunication service of NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program, the DSN has an array of giant radio antennas that allow missions to track, send commands, and receive scientific data from spacecraft venturing to the Moon and beyond.

"To date, the system has transmitted only one other song into space, making the transmission of Elliott’s song a first for hip-hop and NASA."

Brittany Brown, director of the Digital and Technology Division, Office of Communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington, initially pitched ideas to Missy’s team to collaborate with the agency.

She said: "Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art have been about pushing boundaries.

"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."

Transmitted at the speed of light, the radio frequency signal took nearly 14 minutes to reach the planet. The transmission was made by the 34-meter (112-foot) wide Deep Space Station 13 (DSS-13) radio dish antenna, located at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, near Barstow in California. Coincidentally, the DSS-13 also is nicknamed Venus .

Missy Elliott said: "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!

"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!"

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