“Across The Universe” by the Beatles will become the first song to be transmitted directly into space next week.
Marking the 40th anniversary of the song’s recording the track will be beamed through the Deep Space Network – a huge range of antennas. The network will be aimed at the North Star, Polaris, a mere 431 light years from earth.
NASA have a history of incorporating music into their missions, with the Voyager spacecraft hosting a number of recordings on its journey into outer space. Amongst the more obvious Classical works the spacecraft held a copy of “Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground” – a delta blues classic by Blind Willie Johnson.
In a message to NASA, former Beatle and Clash cover star Paul McCartney stated “Send my love to the aliens. All the best, Paul.” The event is also part of NASA’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
