nasa beatles to beam song across

NASA, The Beatles To Beam Song "Across The Universe" Into Deep Space

For the first time ever, NASA will beam a song -- The Beatles' "Across

the Universe" -- directly into deep space at 7 p.m. EST on Feb. 4.

The transmission over NASA's Deep Space Network will commemorate the

40th anniversary of the day The Beatles recorded the song, as well as

the 50th anniversary of NASA's founding and the group's beginnings.

Two other anniversaries also are being honored: The launch 50 years

ago this week of Explorer 1, the first U.S. satellite, and the

founding 45 years ago of the Deep Space Network, an international

network of antennas that supports missions to explore the universe.

The transmission is being aimed at the North Star, Polaris, which is

located 431 light years away from Earth. The song will travel across

the universe at a speed of 186,000 miles per second. Former Beatle

Paul McCartney expressed excitement that the tune, which was

principally written by fellow Beatle John Lennon, was being beamed

into the cosmos.

"Amazing! Well done, NASA!" McCartney says in a message to the space

agency. "Send my love to the aliens. All the best, Paul."

Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, characterizes the song's transmission as a

significant event.

"I see that this is the beginning of the new age in which we will

communicate with billions of planets across the universe," she says.

It is not the first time Beatles music has been used by NASA; in

November 2005, McCartney performed the song "Good Day Sunshine" during

a concert that was transmitted to the International Space Station.

"Here Comes the Sun," "Ticket to Ride" and "A Hard Day's Night" are

among other Beatles' songs that have been played to wake astronaut

crews in orbit.

Feb. 4 has been declared "Across The Universe Day" by Beatles fans to

commemorate the anniversaries. As part of the celebration, the public

around the world has been invited to participate in the event by

simultaneously playing the song at the same time it is transmitted by

NASA. Many of the senior NASA scientists and engineers involved in the

effort are among the group's biggest fans.

"I've been a Beatles fan for 45 years -- as long as the Deep Space

Network has been around," says Barry Geldzahler, the network's program

executive at NASA headquarters in Washington. "What a joy, especially

considering that 'Across the Universe' is my personal favorite Beatles

song."

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Labels: Beatles, Deep Space Network, NASA, North Star, Paul McCartney,