British alternative rock band Muse made news when frontman Matt Bellamy announced the group plans on cajoling Richard Branson for a free trip in space to record a song or produce a video when Virgin Galactic takes flight.

Think of the PR for Muse and for Branson’s vaunted Virgin brand if Sir Richard buys into the idea. Won’t the whole world be glued to this event if it happens? Won’t we all be following this as it unfolds on our iPads, iPhones, TV screens, and computers? How huge would the publicity be for both parties if Muse can pull this off? Just the possibility this might happen is grist for the PR mill—whether it materializes or not.

And if anybody thinks Branson doesn’t care about publicity as one of the richest men in Britain, think again. He’s often taken shots at breaking records and even tried to circumnavigate the globe in a balloon with Steve Fossett once.

From press reports, it seems this is no off-the-top-of-the-head whim. Bellamy has been interested in astronomy for a long time. Fans of the group know it, too. After a recent gig in Moscow, Bellamy was presented with a powerful telescope. When he set it up, he was reportedly awed by the views of the moon.

Bellamy’s comments about the possibility of recording in space: “Would I be scared? I think I’ll be all right.”

• Is this extreme PR or what? Would you be glued to this if it happens?
• What’s your favorite PR move by entertainers been?
• Do you think there ought to be limits to sensationalism or is our culture hungry for edgier “reality TV” kinds of fare now?