Beatles get a ticket to ride - in space

Feb 4 2008 by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Daily Post

A BEATLES song is being transmitted into deep space to try and find life on other planets.

NASA will transmit “Across the Universe” at 12pm in the direction of the North Star, 431 light years from Earth.

Scientists hope fans around the World will join in their efforts and play the song at the same time.

Sir Paul McCartney said he was excited the tune was heading into deep space.

“Amazing! Well done NASA.” McCartney said in a message to the space agency. “Send my love to the aliens. All the best. Paul.”

Primarily written by the late John Lennon, his widow Yoko Ono said transmission was a significant event in history.

She said: “I see that this is the beginning of a new age in which we will communicate with billions of planets across the universe.”

The transmission coincides with the 40th anniversary of the day the Beatles first recorded the song.

It’s not the first time Beatles music has been used by NASA – in 2005, McCartney performed “Good Day Sunshine” during a concert trans- mitted to the Internat- ional Space Agency.