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NASA transmitted a Missy Elliott song across the solar system in a historic first

It took 14 minutes for the song to reach Venus, which NASA said is Elliott’s favorite planet, from the agency’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Southern California on Earth.
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Venus was bumping to Missy Elliott's music last week. Yes, the planet in outer space.

NASA used its Deep Space Network radio antennas to send Elliott’s “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) across the solar system to Venus.

The moment is historic, as it’s the first hip-hop song to be transmitted to space. Only one other time has NASA used its system to send a song from Earth, the agency said.

It took 14 minutes for the song to reach Venus, which NASA said is Elliott’s favorite planet, from the agency’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Southern California. The total distance traveled from Earth was 158 million miles.

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Missy “Misdemeanor” can now confidently say her award-winning music is out of this world.

“Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art have been about pushing boundaries,” said Brittany Brown, director of NASA’s digital and technology division’s office of communications at its headquarters in Washington. “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.”

“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!” Elliott said in a statement from NASA.