Singer-songwriter Grace Potter debuted an inspiring new space-themed music video highlighting the accomplishments of past, present and future women of NASA.
The music video, "Look What We've Become," was created in collaboration with NASA's Johnson Space Center, where the video was filmed. It showcases women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), and aims to empower and inspire the next generation, according to a statement from NASA.
"So much of this song is about when you are coming up through any part of your life and you face challenges, there are so many different ways that can affect you and change the course of your life," Potter said in the statement. "I think that it creates a strength within you if you do make the choice to push onward and say, 'I know that this might be more difficult than another path. That's why I want to do it.'" [Women in Space: A Gallery of Firsts]
The music video covers nearly every aspect of NASA: Mission Control, ground experiments, astronauts floating in microgravity aboard the International Space Station, training exercises in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, astronauts gearing up for launch, and, of course, Potter rocking a spacesuit.
Among the many women spotlighted in the music video is Katherine Johnson, one of the first African-American women to work at NASA as a mathematician, or "human computer." In this role, women performed invaluable calculations for the Mercury, Apollo and space shuttle programs.
Inspiration for "Look What We've Become" stems from Potter's experience as a growing musician and overcoming challenges in her own career, she said in an interview about the music video release.
A key verse of the song says, "and they always told us we would be nothing."
In Potter's video interview with NASA, she said that these lyrics resonate with many people, as their aspirations to challenge themselves may be stifled by others. [Rocker Grace Potter's Three Phases To Cosmic Enlightenment ]
"NASA's goal with this video is to inspire young women everywhere to plot a course for a career in science, technology, engineering and math, and then stay on that trajectory, no matter the challenges, and become a part of something historic," agency officials said in the statement.
In addition to the many NASA women featured in the music video, the humanoid robot — Robonaut 2 — and the Orion spacecraft play an integral role, lending to what is in store for NASA's future.
Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us @Spacedotcom,Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
