Songs to Start the Day for the Artemis II Crew in Space
NASA’s Artemis II Mission Releases Wake-Up Playlist for Astronauts
In a unique twist on space exploration, NASA has unveiled the official wake-up playlist for its Artemis II mission, which launched on April 1. Contrary to the lyrics of the song "Pink Pony Club," the collection of tracks isn’t found in West Hollywood, but rather among the stars.
The playlist, shared by NASA on social media, aims to energize the crew members throughout their journey aboard the Orion spacecraft, which includes astronauts Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch.
"Each track was selected by the Moon crew, continuing a tradition that started more than 50 years ago," NASA noted, accompanied by a photo of the astronauts on Instagram. The space agency also teased that more songs will be revealed in the future.
Among the standout tracks, the astronauts selected "Sleepyhead" by Young & Sick as their first wake-up song, setting a fitting tone for their cosmic adventure. Following that, John Legend and André 3000’s popular 2008 hit "Green Light" helped rouse the crew with its motivating message: “I’m ready to go right now.”
Describing the surreal experience of waking up in space, the team chose "In a Daydream" by the Freddy Jones Band as their third track. They also embraced Chappell Roan’s anthem "Pink Pony Club," which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, to kickstart their day. Rounding out the list, the playlist features CeeLo Green’s “Working Class Heroes (Work)” in the fifth position and "Good Morning" by Mandisa and Toby Mac.
The playlist also celebrates modern musical collaborations, including "Tokyo Drifting" by Glass Animals and Denzel Curry. Following the announcement, Curry expressed excitement about being featured, stating on X, “Even Aliens F— with my S–t!” He shared a post highlighting a NASA video of the spacecraft playing his song.
Glass Animals echoed this sentiment, with the band commenting, “this is the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me in my life ever” in response to the playlist reveal.
As the mission continues, the Artemis II crew’s carefully curated wake-up playlist not only serves to motivate but also connects Earth and space through music, showcasing the timeless tradition of using song as a source of inspiration.
For a complete list of the Artemis II wake-up songs, see below:
