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Mars rover Curiosity just got hipper


RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - The Mars rover Curiosity keeps finding ways to break technology barriers. Now, it's introducing The Red Planet to hip-hop.

For four minutes and 24 seconds, NASA's most advanced and expensive Mars mission ever became an interplanetary radio station. Never before has music been broadcast from another planet back to Earth. The song of choice? "Reaching for the Stars" by Will.I.Am was that first song to make this interplanetary debut. So why bust a move on Mars? Why, to inspire students to take a greater interest in the space program and science, of course!

Will.I.Am explains, "They said, 'We have a rocket going to Mars,' and I said, 'You ever thought about putting a song on the rocket so when it lands it comes back to Earth?  That's never happened before.'"

When Curiosity isn't busy DJ-ing, its sending back myriad striking images from the Martian surface in Gale Crater. In less than a month, Curiosity has sent back more data than all the previous rovers combined!