Seminal British post-punk group Echo and The Bunnymen are going to space. Well, their critically acclaimed album "Ocean Rain" is, at least. The group was recently contacted by NASA astronaut - and huge Bunnymen fan - Timothy Korpa about taking some of the group's music on his next mission, citing the 1984 record as his favorite of their catalog. Korpa plans to take snapshots of the crew in space with the album during their voyage.

"Now it's official. We are the coolest band in the universe," said vocalist Ian McCulloch in a released statement. "As a kid I dreamt of being an astronaut, and now in a way it feels like I'm fulfilling that dream. I cannot wait to hear from Tim what it is like to listen to ‘The Killing Moon' in the actual glow of the moon."

While Nielson Soundscan data only dates back to 1991, "Ocean Rain" has sold 76,000 copies since then. "Ocean Rain" will be getting the deluxe reissue treatment on May 30, with a rerelease that bundles a live performance of the record from November 27, 2008 at the Liverpool Arena as well as a DVD documentary.

Last year, "Ocean Rain" was also performed in its entirety on September 16 at London's Royal Albert Hall and on October 1 at New York's Radio City Music Hall. All three performances paired the group with an orchestra. June 28 will see the band perform "Ocean Rain" at the annual Glastonbury Festival and although dates and venues have yet to be announced, the group will return to the U.S. later this year for two more performances.

Echo and the Bunnymen were a heavy presence at this year's SXSW festival and have since been holed up working on their tenth album entitled "The Fountain." The set is due later this year. They one lone U.S. date so far is scheduled for August 2 at All Points West Festival in New Jersey.