Missy Elliott’s 90s hit ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)’ has made its way into the cosmos. Last week, NASA transmitted the hip-hop classic to Venus using the Deep Space Network (DSN), a communication system for spacecraft, marking the second time NASA has sent a song into space. The first was the Beatles’ ‘Across the Universe’ in 2008.
The choice of Venus was personal for Elliott, as it’s her favorite planet. NASA’s Brittany Brown, who spearheaded the collaboration, highlighted the shared spirit of pushing boundaries between space exploration and Missy’s artistry. Elliott expressed her excitement about joining forces with NASA, seeing this as an opportunity to share her message with the universe. The song was transmitted as a radio frequency at the speed of light, reaching Venus in a mere 14 minutes.
‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)’ and ‘Across the Universe’ are just two examples of music finding its way into outer space. As we’ve ventured beyond Earth, humans have sought to introduce the cosmos to our musical preferences. Early examples included live performances: Ukrainian cosmonaut Pavlo Popovych sang ‘Watching the sky and thinking a thought’ on a 1962 mission, while astronauts Wally Schirra and Thomas P. Stafford played harmonica and bells during a 1965 orbit. This tradition of bringing instruments for entertainment during space missions continues today, with Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield’s 2013 video performance of David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ aboard the International Space Station being a notable recent example.
Beyond live performances, we’ve also sent music directly into space as a message to potential extraterrestrial life. The 1970 launch of China’s first satellite, Dongfanghong I, saw the broadcast of the ‘Dongfanghong’ song for 20 days. One of the most famous instances of music in space is the Voyager mission. In 1977, NASA launched two probes into interstellar space, each carrying a time capsule for any extraterrestrial encounters. This capsule included a gold record with greetings in 55 languages and a diverse musical selection, ranging from classical pieces by Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven to modern hits like Chuck Berry’s ‘Johnny B. Goode’.
Since the Voyager mission, numerous other space missions have included music broadcasts. A Soviet mission played Pink Floyd in 1988, a British mission featured Blur in 2003, and NASA missions included will.i.am (2012) and Taylor Swift (2018). However, perhaps the most controversial example involves Elon Musk launching a Tesla Roadster into solar orbit in 2018, playing Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ and ‘Life on Mars’ on repeat. While Hadfield’s ‘Space Oddity’ performance was lauded, Musk’s approach was met with criticism for its repetitive nature. From the iconic ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)’ to the classics of the Beatles, music has become a constant companion on our journey through space, showcasing the human spirit’s enduring desire to connect with the cosmos through the universal language of sound.
