'THE RAIN' BY MISSY ELLIOT SENT TO SPACE BY NASA

On July 12, Missy Elliott's "The Rain (Super Dupa Fly)" became the second song to be sent into space, after The Beatles' 2008 transmission of "Across the Universe." In just 14 minutes, the hip-hop track was beam 158 million miles to Elliott's favourite planet, Venus, with assistance from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The idea was first presented to Elliott's team by Brittany Brown, the director of digital and technological communication. She states in NASA's announcement that Missy Elliott's frequent use of space imagery inspired the partnership. Elliott frequently uses futuristic themes and a cyberpunk aesthetic in his music videos. Her most recent tour, "Out Of This World," which has an atmosphere reminiscent of a surrealist spacecraft, also reflects this sense of style. 

When performing, she frequently dons metallic materials and striking hues that blend modern and retro fashions.

Through the Deep Space Network (DSN), massive radio antennas used for missions around Earth and with other planets, "The Rain" was transmitted at the speed of light. The DSN used massive antennas usually used to track spacecraft, send commands, and receive data from a radio dish near Barstow, California. Furthermore, the DSN can communicate with spacecraft anywhere from a few thousand kilometres to beyond the solar system in distance. The precise and speedy transmission of Missy Elliott's song to Venus was made possible by this cutting-edge technology.

The song that was aired, which features a sample of Ann Peebles' 1973 hit song "I Can't Stand the Rain," was written and produced for Missy Elliott's 1997 debut album Supa Dupa Fly by Don Bryant, Bernard Miller, and producer Timbaland. For the album, Elliott was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Rap Album and Best Rap Solo Performance for the song "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)."