On Monday, NASA announced that it took nearly 14 minutes for Missy Elliott’s song “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” to travel 158 million miles to Venus. The agency transmitted the song using radio antennas near Barstow, California, which are normally used to track spacecraft, send commands, and receive data.

“My song ‘The Rain’ has officially been transmitted all the way to Venus, the planet that symbolizes strength, beauty and empowerment,” Elliott mentioned on social media. “The sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.”

NASA did not explain its decision to transmit another song into space, only the second time since The Beatles’ “Across the Universe” was sent to Polaris in 2008. However, culturally, sending Missy Elliott’s song suggests her stature as a unique artist on Earth. If the goal is to serenade aliens, why not choose Elliott rapping over Ann Peebles’ 1973 hit single “I Can’t Stand the Rain”?

NASA acknowledged the artist’s frequent use of space iconography in her work in a statement about the transmission. The agency proposed collaboration ideas to Elliott before deciding on this initiative.

“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,” said Brittany Brown, a director in NASA’s communications office.

NASA has occasionally sent music to space, most notably including a gold-plated copper phonograph record on Voyager 1 and 2 in 1977 to represent Earth’s diverse life and culture. On Earth, Missy Elliott has earned significant recognition.

Missy Elliott’s 2024 North American tour, her first as a headliner, is called “Out of This World.” She frequently wears chrome and studded costumes that reflect the futuristic aesthetics of ’80s space movies. Her music video for the single “Sock It 2 Me” from her 1997 debut album takes place in space, where she raps in colorful, cartoonish space suits while soaring through the galaxy.

Although NASA has transmitted a hip-hop song to Venus for the first time, Missy Elliott has already taken her music to space in her own way.