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AP Photo/NASA/PA

The first song played on another planet is...

(Mars, we’re sorry.) What would you have picked to be the first song from space?

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: 

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.

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64 Comments
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    Mute Save Rainforest
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    Nov 14th 2023, 8:44 PM

    Extremely inefficient process, in many many countries buying a property takes 4-6 weeks not 4 to 6 months if you are lucky or a year if you’re not so lucky. Properties should not be put on sale without all documents, planning permits, ber certs and so on being ready. Also cutting off the solicitors would be great too, estate agents should be qualified to do the probate and conveyancing , at the moment they do sweet f. all

    315
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    Mute Mick Duvanny
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    Nov 14th 2023, 9:28 PM

    @Save Rainforest: Think of all the empty properties while the sale is waiting to close

    29
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    Mute
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    Nov 14th 2023, 10:31 PM

    @Save Rainforest: You can barely trust an Estate Agent to be genuine and not falsify bids etc. I’d much rather pay a solicitor I would trust and have them in my corner rather than an EA who just wants to close to get their commission.

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Nov 15th 2023, 1:24 AM

    @Save Rainforest: estate agents? The biggest gangsters ever are you hearing yourself as you type?

    53
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    Mute lastfewchocices
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    Nov 14th 2023, 10:15 PM

    I’ve recently sold a house. I applied for an nppr cert in early August. Got a reply yesterday. Property tax bands increase due to the sale price increased and were back dated. Solicitors fees include couriers for items I collected. An engineer charged 2000 euros to look into a shore and a tank and sign a document. Estate agent is uncontactable. And that’s just the sale.
    I’m also trying to buy. And that’s where I’ve lost the will to live.
    The real estate business is rotten to its very core. My heart breaks for those trying to get on the ladder They haven’t a hope.
    Nothing is transparent. Nobody is accountable. And the seller and buyer are being rode hard.
    It’s a disgraceful system. I’m furious.

    311
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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Nov 15th 2023, 9:12 AM

    @Peter Murray:
    The trolling is getting pretty sad around here.

    11
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    Mute Michael o connor
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    Nov 14th 2023, 8:43 PM

    When will The Journal be telling us the details of one of the anchors of RTEs Six One news High Court case against a national newspaper?

    Is this not having a chilling effect?

    Oh sorry, is that just when sinn fein are involved?

    170
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    Mute Damien Leahy
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    Nov 15th 2023, 5:51 AM

    @Michael o connor: maria bailey as well

    42
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    Mute Denis Rathsallagh Brady
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    Nov 14th 2023, 8:36 PM

    Hire staff for councils and get back to building estates.
    Half a billion not spent by that eejit last year.
    Ive a pain in me aras with the lot of them

    168
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    Mute uUleRhCu
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    Nov 15th 2023, 6:48 AM

    @Denis Rathsallagh Brady: Look at the state of ‘council estates’ in this country?…Not a great poster boy for repeating it.If they are to build more,well then the old model needs to be ripped up.Start by deducting rent at source and maybe inspecting houses and deducting the cost of damage at source as well.

    49
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    Mute Denis Rathsallagh Brady
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    Nov 15th 2023, 7:48 AM

    @uUleRhCu: You’re talking about the bad areas. There are more decent good estates than bad. The one in the middle of my name being a fine example of how a good council estate is run.
    And besides, we need housing now

    22
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    Mute uUleRhCu
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    Nov 15th 2023, 11:16 AM

    @Denis Rathsallagh Brady: more good estate than bad….nonsense.

    6
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    Mute Denis Rathsallagh Brady
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    Nov 15th 2023, 4:52 PM

    @uUleRhCu: Theres a whole generation out there with no chance of getting their own house.
    So what do we do, build tower blocks? Not a chance.
    Build single houses? Not a chance.
    In Wicklow alone there are 125 boarded up council houses. If they had more workers these could be given out.
    No workers = No houses

    5
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    Mute Johnny 5
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    Nov 14th 2023, 9:21 PM

    Another expert group. Where would we be without them

    113
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    Mute SaraB
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    Nov 14th 2023, 8:41 PM

    Remove the bid process altogether. In England you make an offer and if it’s accepted it’s off the market same day. Easy to buy a property. The Scottish system is also just as bad as IE with sealed bids and I know people who have also struggled to buy. Only difference is you don’t know if you are close but it does prevent agents constantly pushing up prices. But please just remove the weeks of open house and bidding systems!

    101
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    Mute Jules Verne
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    Nov 14th 2023, 9:31 PM

    Roughly 40% of the price of a house is direct and indirect taxation. Vat, various arbitrary contributions to the County Council, etc. not including the costs of applying for planning permission. However, there is limited transparency,, so the circus will continue.

    93
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    Mute Louis Jacob
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    Nov 14th 2023, 8:28 PM

    Make legislation and simplify regulations specifically for prefabs and log cabins. Surely with all the vendors now selling these products in ireland, a code of standards can be established. It would take so much pressure off

    85
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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Nov 15th 2023, 9:20 AM

    @Louis Jacob:
    Well said.
    For anyone with access to a site, probably mammy’s back garden it should an option for good quality log cabins.
    In reality it’s already happening, try buying a second hand mobile home at the moment.
    We had one in wexford as a holiday home when the kids were smaller. Sold it last year after 10 years for more than I paid for it.
    Young couple who didn’t want to pay rent while saving for a deposit.

    15
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    Mute Gar Fitz
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    Nov 14th 2023, 8:30 PM

    I love the way they’ve spun the word home in to thinking there doing well and meeting targets , 30000 homes is what , how many apartments how many houses , not enough thats wha

    81
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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Nov 15th 2023, 9:23 AM

    @Gar Fitz:
    And the next government, regardless of who they are, will do the same.
    Neither FG, FF or SF or anyone else will magic up more builders.

    12
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    Mute Pete Lee
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    Nov 14th 2023, 8:39 PM

    There is a major need for legal reform of
    Cost and time frame….
    Just look at any tribunal

    64
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    Mute
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    Nov 14th 2023, 10:50 PM

    After weeks of bidding and eventually out bidding the other potential buyers, the property owner decided he would like some more money. The plonker just wasted everyone’s time with his greed. The guide price was exceeded by more than 20k but maybe the agent deliberately put it lower to increase the interest in the property. The whole process is ridiculous. There’s very little transparency when it comes to the bidding and it just feels like the agents are out to squeeze what they can out of you.

    88
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    Mute Damian Moylan
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    Nov 14th 2023, 9:41 PM

    what’s the point in journal.ie w/o a comments section? i have seen numbers drop.

    52
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    Mute Alan Kennedy
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    Nov 14th 2023, 10:57 PM

    @Damian Moylan: Is this not a comment?

    12
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    Mute Eoin murtagh
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    Nov 14th 2023, 9:44 PM

    Why has this taken so long to start to tackle

    52
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    Mute BRENDAN O'CONNELL
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    Nov 14th 2023, 10:34 PM

    May someone can over see the corrupt Irish real estate business,put in some proper regulations the Irish as it’s a good old boys club.

    72
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    Mute
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    Nov 15th 2023, 12:55 AM

    When waiting for the sale of my dublin flat to conclude to allow me purchase a edinburgh house i recall my scottish solicitor not comprehending how awful the irish process was. The delay in funds almost cost lost me the edinburgh house. Far too many hangers on in the irish process taking a cut along the way and not taking any responsiblity.

    54
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    Mute Alan Kennedy
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    Nov 14th 2023, 10:53 PM

    If Jimmy from Clonmel can object to a house build in Raharny, then there’s something wrong! However, if you want to change that, then you need approval from Jimmy!

    32
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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Nov 15th 2023, 9:27 AM

    @Alan Kennedy:
    The problem isn’t Jimmy from clonmel, every country has those, it’s the fact he hold it up for so long, possibly years.
    And that is down to the legal system.

    6
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    Mute Cars
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    Nov 15th 2023, 8:17 AM

    Start with Estate Agents. They are no doubt part of the issue.

    22
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    Mute Philip Thompson
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    Nov 15th 2023, 4:51 AM

    Estate agents want the system changed too. This legislation was proposed and promoted by IPAV. As an estate agent I spend far more time trying to resolve problems in conveyancing than in selling houses. The stress for all who care is very high.

    9
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    Mute Mark Breathnach
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    Nov 15th 2023, 6:03 AM

    @Philip Thompson: no one he cares
    Up bidding is rife in the properties & estate agents are part of the issue

    20
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    Mute Nickb
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    Nov 15th 2023, 1:34 PM

    We currently have a situation in Wexford where one couple from the north of the county are the sole objectors to ABP over major development plans ( permission granted by Wexford Co Co ) at a hotel in Wexford town, 50km away. At minimum this will put the plans on hold for at least 6 months!

    7
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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Nov 15th 2023, 3:18 PM

    @Nickb:
    Your ire should be directed towards the legal system and the government that allows that to happen.
    Every developed nation has some form of planning objection system, there will always be a contrarian, especially now with environmental issues, but they seem to be able to deal with it in a few months rather than years in this country.

    5
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