Will.i.am is out of this world in new Science special

Will.i.am, one of pop music’s most popular artists, is taking his star power to another level.

His new single, “Reach for the Stars,” was the first song ever to be broadcast from another planet to Earth. The tune was broadcast from NASA’s Curiosity spacecraft, which successfully landed on Mars on Aug. 6. Since the landing, Curiosity has returned photographs and valuable information about the surface of Mars, which is helping scientists determine if the planet can support life.

The broadcast of the song will be featured Sept. 19 in the Science network special “i.am.mars: Reach for the Stars,” which producers says explores “the artistic and technical process behind the song and its heavenly broadcast.”

The musician recorded the song with a full orchestra and children’s chorus, and the special will highlight the engineering challenges encountered by NASA in uploading the song to Curiosity, and what it took to broadcast the song 700 million miles back to Earth.

The special also showcases Will.i.am’s passion for sciences and his belief in inspiring the next generation of scientists through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education.

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