Thirty Seconds to Mars is a rock band that has made a real name for themselves with not only their music, but with their over-the-top way of operating. They film elaborate music videos in foreign countries, they have set the record for “Longest Concert Tour by a Rock Band,” (309 shows across 6 continents in less than two years) and were sued by Virgin Records for $30 million. Leading up to the release of their fourth studio album, the band is at it again.
The Falcon 9 rocket in which the single was launched.
On Friday, March 1, Thirty Seconds to Mars launched the first single from the new album… into space. This is the first time a commercial copy of any music has left the earth’s atmosphere. The single, fittingly titled, “Up In the Air”, was encased in a resusable Dragon capsule (developed by SpaceX) and launched with the Falcon 9 rocket. About 12,000 pounds of scientific instruments for the International Space Station were included, along with playback instructions for the song just in case any alien life comes across it in the distant future. The rocket was greeted on Sunday, March 3, by astronaut Tom Marshburn.
Frontman, Jared Leto, and the other members of the band were present at Cape Canaveral for the launch. “It was a phenomenal morning,” said Leto. “It’s been a mind-blowing experience, sending our music up into space, where it’s pushing into orbit and going around the earth, that’s a pretty amazing thing to think about.”
Bandmates Tomo Miličević, Jared Leto, and Shannon Leto pose in front of the launch pad.
The band and Marshburn will do a live Q&A on March 18, which is the day the song will be heard by the public here on Earth (meaning the song will be broadcast live from space). The single will then be available for download on March 19. The band has said that this new album, which as of now has no set release date, will be a “dramatic departure.”
