Artemis II Crew Reveal the Songs They Woke Up To in Space
NASA has published an official playlist of the 'wake-up' songs that were chosen by the crew of the Artemis II mission to begin their days in space.
The long-standing tradition exists to ground the astronauts on Earth's time, keeping them alert and letting them adhere to a regular day/night cycle. The songs are generally broadcast from mission control in Houston to mark the beginning of a new day on the Artemis II.
Artemis II's Wake-Up Songs Revealed
On April 9, NASA published a Spotify playlist containing the full list of songs that the Artemis II crew decided to wake up to.
- Sleepyhead - Young & Sick
- Green Light - John Legend, André 3000
- In a Daydream - Freddy Jones Band
- Pink Pony Club - Chappell Roan
- Working Class Heroes - CeeLo Green
- Good Morning - Mandisa, TobyMac
- Tokyo Drifting - Glass Animals, Denzel Curry
- Under Pressure - Queen, David Bowie
- Lonesome Drifter - Charley Crockett
The song includes a huge variety of genres, including classic rock icons like Queen and David Bowie, modern country artists like Charley Crockett, and international pop stars like Chappell Roan and CeeLo Green.
The songs are personally selected by the crew according to their own tastes and emotional significance. Upon choosing his three songs before leaving for the International Space Station in 2015, British astronaut Tim Peake said: ""I think it gives you a connection back to Earth."
"It reminds you of times in your life when you've heard that music. Maybe it reminds you of friends and family [...] You look back and you see the entire planet… and that's it. That's home." (via BBC).
NASA employee Antonia Jaramillo adds that music helps prevent feelings of isolation among the crew, keeping their spirits high: "They are by themselves. They are going around the moon [...] We all have our morning wake up routine."
"You have a soundtrack to get you in the zone. It's a very similar thing we're doing for our crew."
The crew of the Artemis II mission will return to Earth on Friday, April 10. The shuttle will splash down off the coast of San Diego, California.