Every day in space, the Artemis II crew is awoken to a song played by mission control in Houston.
On the first day of the mission, it was “Sleepyhead,” a cover of a Passion Pit song by the solo artist Young & Sick. The following day, the four astronauts were stirred by John Legend’s “Green Light,” featuring the rapper André 3000. On Wednesday, it was “Under Pressure,” by Queen and David Bowie.
On day four, mission control played Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” for the crew, only for the track to be cut off.
“We were all eagerly awaiting the chorus,” Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman joked.
The tradition of playing songs as wake-up calls for astronauts in space dates back to 1965, during the Apollo era.
Brian Odom, NASA’s chief historian, told NPR that the space agency uses the musical wake-up calls as “a way to get everybody on track or to just remind people of home.”
“In a moment when they feel further away than they’ve ever felt, they can be connected to family, they can be connected to culture,” Odom said. “They can be connected back home in ways that only really music has a way to do.”
On Wednesday, NASA released an official Spotify playlist of “Artemis II Wake-Up Songs.”
According to the space agency, these songs were preselected by the crew and their families for the historic 10-day mission.
Several of the artists have responded after learning their songs were used as galactic wake-up calls.
“As a sci-fi head, as someone who is constantly looking towards the stars, this is massive,” Young & Sick said in a TikTok video. “To be a tiny speck on this wild mission they’re on is beyond crazy.”
Glass Animals, a British indie rock band whose song “Tokyo Drifting” with Denzel Curry was played to wake up the crew on day seven, responded to NASA on Instagram:
omg no freaking way i love u guys. me and my cousins and my mom made popcorn and watched the launch. you guys are inspiring us all down here on earth. ps sorry to hear about the toilet but glad it is fixed.
The Freddy Jones Band, whose “In a Daydream” was used as a wake-up song on day three, had a one-word response: “Yessss!”
TobyMac said it was “an honor” for him that “Good Morning,” his collaboration with gospel artist Mandisa, was picked by the crew. Mandisa died in 2024.
“I know she’s smiling up there right now!” he wrote.
