Last weekend, after I’d watched astronauts cramped aboard space shuttle Atlantis and taking leisurely space walks in the Imax film “Hubble 3D,” a nagging thought found its way into my head: “What do astronauts listen to up there?”
After all, as Sir Elton John tells us, “It’s lonely out in space,” and while they’re certainly busy conducting experiments, astronauts must appreciate the occasional musical reminder of Earthbound life.
Unfortunately, at $10,000 a pound, taking most terrestrial comforts into orbit (a bed or a spouse, for example) isn’t financially feasible.
But the shuttle already has speakers, so why not pipe in some tunes? “Surely, NASA would allow them that much,” I thought.
Apparently, they do. NASA has long recognized the benefits of using wake-up music to help astronauts begin their day and strengthen the bond between crew members and ground-based personnel.
Thanks to a detailed report compiled by Colin Fries of NASA’s History Division on the wake-up songs used since the days of the Apollo program, we can see which artists have slipped the surly bonds of Earth (and gravity).
Some obvious choices, such as Sir Elton’s “Rocket Man” and Deep Purple’s “Space Truckin’,” have made the trip more than once (or 13 times, in the case of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World”), but there have been some surprising and clever selections as well:
* “Who Let the Dogs Out” by the Baha Men (in 2001, twice)
* “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis (in 1991, just once, which was probably enough)
* “I Get Around” by The Beach Boys (in 1985, 1988, 1994 and 2003)
* “Good Day Sunshine” by The Beatles (in 2005 and 2009, and in 2006 as part of a live performance by Paul McCartney streamed to the shuttle)
While there are plenty of accolades to be earned by recording artists, there are few bigger feathers to put in your musical cap than having your song played to an audience 200 miles high.
As of now, however, Lady GaGa and Kanye West can’t claim that particular accomplishment. With only two missions left before the shuttle program’s mandatory retirement, they might never get the chance.
If you’re curious, NASA’s full, 86-page report on wake-up music is available at http://history.nasa.gov/wakeup%20calls.pdf.