NASA HAS CARRIED out another ground-breaking first – broadcasting music from another planet.

‘Reach for the Stars’ by will.i.am was successfully broadcast on Mars by the rover Curioristy and beamed the 700 million miles (1,126 million km) back to Earth yesterday.

The musician has been helping NASA to promote its STEM programme which aims to draw more young people into studying science, technology engineering and math.

Speaking at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California during a special event for the live broadcast, will.i.am said:

Today is about inspiring young people to lead a life without limits placed on their potential and to pursue collaboration between humanity and technology through STEAM education. I know my purpose is to inspire young people, because they will keep inspiring me back.

NASA researchers were feeling the beat during the broadcast:

YouTube: collectspace

NASA Associate Administrator for Education and space shuttle astronaut Leland Melvin said that the broadcast and the agency’s work to inspire students was a fitting way to celebrate the life and achievements of late Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong.

“That first footprint that Neil placed on the lunar surface left an indelible mark in history,” Melvin said.

“Perhaps one of our students here today or watching on NASA Television will be the first to set foot on the surface of Mars and continue humanity’s quest to explore.”

If you could have chosen one track to beam back to Earth from space, what would it have been? Add your suggestions to the comments below.