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 CHRONOLOGY OF WAKEUP CALLS Compiled by Colin Fries, NASA History Division

 Updated 3/13/2015 

The idea for the Wakeup Call chronology arose as a result of my dual interests in the 

history of music and the space program. I discovered as soon as I began working as an 

archivist at the NASA History Office that there was no complete list of these calls sent 

from Mission Control. There have always been inquiries about flown items and mission 

events as we all know, and those about wakeup calls and music played in space 

encompassed a steady stream (no pun intended)! And NASA’s Web pages did provide 

audio for these calls beginning with STS-85 with the note that: “Wakeup calls are a 

longstanding tradition of the NASA program” -- yet nothing on when it started. One of 

the most frequent inquiries was and still is – What was the first wakeup call? (I later 

learned that it was “Hello Dolly” sent during Gemini 6). So with the blessing of the 

history staff I began compiling a chronology using the sources in the NASA Historical 

Reference Collection here at NASA Headquarters. The Space Shuttle portion of the 

Chronology proved to be the most challenging since the Johnson Space Center Audio 

Control Room Recorder Log began with STS-80. In 2005, I was able to visit JSC Public 

Affairs and make copies from their query books to fill in the gap. Still there were Space 

Shuttle wakeup calls, even entire missions, that remained elusive. The other sources that I 

used are listed at the end of this PDF. Please excuse omissions, incorrect dates, or even 

totally wrong entries due to the patchwork nature of the data that I drew from. We 

welcome input to improve the accuracy of the list. We just ask that you provide a 

verifiable source. The excerpts that immediately follow were chosen as excellent 

explanations for the rationale that led to the tradition. Since the retirement of the Space 

Shuttle fleet it is on hiatus but it may be revived when NASA's Multi-Purpose Crew 

Vehicle is operational, or when commercial craft are flying on a regular basis.

Colin Fries

Use of music to awaken astronauts on space missions dates back at least to the Apollo Program, 

when astronauts returning from the Moon were serenaded by their colleagues in mission control 

with lyrics from popular songs that seemed appropriate to the occasion...Several crews have 

awakened on their final day in space to Dean Martin’s popular song “Going Back to Houston.”

The common element of all these selections is that they promote a sense of camaraderie and esprit 

de corps among the astronauts and ground support personnel. That, in fact, is the sole reason for 

having wake-up music; and it is the reason that NASA management has neither attempted to 

dictate its content nor allowed outside interests to influence the process.

From a letter from Lynn W. Heninger, Acting Assistant Administrator for Congressional Relations 

to Congressman Robert H. Michel - January 9, 1990

 What do astronauts listen to in outer space? Details tracks the sounds of the final frontier

 Details, January 2000 By Steve Knopper

Aboard the space shuttle Discovery, astronaut Steve Robinson once used a 50-foot Japanese 

robotic arm to snare a four-ton satellite. But Robinson's greatest professional challenge came on 

the ground. Last June, while working at mission control, he was charged with playing wake-up 

music for another shuttle crew. One astronaut's wife made him promise to play Barry Manilow's 
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schmaltzy ballad "A Little Traveling Music, Please," and Robinson's flight director -- the mission 

control center's big boss -- insisted he play the rousing U.S. Air Force theme instead. A delicate 

decision.

"So I played 'em back-to-back. I thought they would cancel each other out," says Robinson 

tactfully. "The only complaints were from the navy guys on the crew. But I'm not sure if they were 

complaining about the air force song or Barry Manilow."

Think of the space shuttle as a high-tech road trip with a difference: You can't get out until the trip 

is over, pot and beer are forbidden, and 125 miles straight down, somebody who isn't even 

traveling with you gets to pick what's on the tape deck. That's often Chris Hadfield, chief mission 

control CAPCOM (capsule communicator), who oversees little details like wake-up music, which 

is broadcast on an intercom-type system with small speakers on the upper and lower decks of the 

shuttle.

"You play some lively, peppy bit of music -- normally just two minutes of it -- and after a pause, 

you hear some groggy voice on the microphone mumbling, 'Good morning, Houston,'" Hadfield 

explains. "You don't want to play a dirge or something uninspiring. You want to get them going in 

the morning." Consequently, the selections are usually benign -- it's considered poor form, and 

possibly dangerous, to freak out a sleeping astronaut with Rob Zombie or Eminem. But the DJs at 

mission control have been known to exhibit a mischievous streak. Once, to the crew's sleepy 

confusion, Hadfield chose the booming half-U2 version of the Mission: Impossible theme.

The 1965 Gemini VI mission was one of the first to include onboard music. Those brave 

astronauts got "Hello, Dolly!," as sung by clean-cut crooner Jack Jones. For the Apollo II moon 

mission, flight director Eugene F. Kranz psyched himself up with John Philip Sousa marches. In 

1972, the Apollo 17 crew heard the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun." The cheese subsided 

somewhat with the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the first U.S.-Soviet manned space flight: That 

crew woke to the strains of Jerry Jeff Walker's "Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother." Since 

then, more anthemic fare has prevailed: the theme from Rocky (1984), "Bohemian Rhapsody" 

(1989), and the Star Wars theme (1993). The '93 Columbia shuttle mission had better luck with hip 

reveilles including the Thompson Twins' "Doctor! Doctor!" and R.E.M.'s "Shiny Happy People."

(It would be a different playlist if DJs did a set at mission control. Moby told Details he would 

play the Clash's six-gunning version of "I Fought the Law," and a little Bach or Hendrix. Master 

mixologist Armand Van Helden would spin Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle" [what, no "Space 

Cowboy"?] and David Bowie's "Space Oddity." Mr. Space Oddity himself would choose Steve 

Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians.")

Because in space no one can hear you scream, "Turn that Crap down!," personal CD players and 

headphones help fly guys maintain their sanity. For his space-shuttle mission last year -- the one 

with Senator John Glenn, who preselected Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" as the 

wake-up call -- astronaut Steve Robinson brought 20 discs. While riding an exercise bike on the 

lower level, Robinson listened to electric-blues guitarists Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. 

While staring literally into space, he chose a musician friend's version of Pachelbel's Canon. He 

fell asleep to Chris Isaak. "It's one of the most personal things that you're able to take up in space. 

Wherever your music is, that's sort of a version of home," says Robinson. Both Robinson and 

Hadfield belong to a 12-year-old, all-astronaut, Houston-based rock 'n' roll quartet known as 

Max-Q, whose rotating members cover bash-it-out standards like "Louie Louie." Named after an 

aerodynamics term for "maximum dynamic pressure," the band has yet to release any albums but 

occasionally plays NASA functions. In 1993, they woke up the Discovery crew with a cover of 

"Heartbreak Hotel."

Such musical experience comes in handy in space -- especially if you believe in cross-cultural 

exchanges. Four years ago, preparing for a shuttle mission to the Mir space station, Hadfield 

knew he would encounter Thomas Reiter, a German astronaut and accomplished classical 

guitarist. He also knew earlier Mir astronauts had left a beat-up acoustic for future crews --

which, he surmised, Reiter wouldn't appreciate. So Hadfield had a company modify an electric 

guitar, making it lighter than usual and foldable to fit his luggage. United on Mir, 250 miles above 

the Earth, Hadfield and Reiter sang Beatles songs and Russian folk ballads. Air guitar, says 

Hadfield, was never quite like this: "It's great floating weightless going around the world, playing 

guitar."
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 On the way back from Mir, Hadfield set his CD player for the Celtic weeper "Danny Boy," his 

favorite song ever, and watched the stars go by. The experience gave "Headphone music" a whole 

new meaning. "There are certain stanzas of music, certain harmonies, certain lyrics, which 

sometimes just send a warm rush up your backbone," Hadfield says. "And you get that almost 

continuously up there." And to think that we here down on Earth thought Barry Manilow couldn't 

possibly sound any better.

 From http://www.knopps.com/DetailsRockSpacemen.html
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There were no formal wakeup calls sent to the crews of Mercury and Gemini. The missions in 

the early years of the human space program were relatively short. It was not until Gemini 7 

that long term endurance really began to be tested since it lasted almost two weeks. During this 

mission and during Gemini 9 and 12 Mission Control piped the crew music during periods of 

relative inactivity, often in batches. Only some of it was sent at the end of the sleep period. I 

have included anything that I have found since it is the genesis of the concept, a concept not 

fully realized until the Apollo Program . The wakeup tradition seemed to begin in earnest and 

be sent on a regular basis only after Apollo 10. Specifically why this mission was selected is 

undetermined. Of course, you will ask why Apollo 11 is missing. Actually wakeup calls were 

sent on Apollo 11, but they were not music, they consisted of news and sports. I have usually 

only included music in this chronology, the exceptions being some interesting examples during 

the Space Shuttle Program.

MERCURY PROGRAM

NOTHING FOUND

 GEMINI PROGRAM

GEMINI 3, 4, & 5

NOTHING FOUND

GEMINI 6 December 15-16, 1965

New lyrics to “Hello Dolly” sung by Jack Jones sent to crew NYT 2/7/68. 

GEMINI 7 December 4-18, 1965

New lines to “Time to Get Ready for Love” were sent to the crew

12/6/65 Hawaiian music began to be broadcast to them at 1:34 p.m. Mission Commentary, Tape 112, page 1

12/7/65 Mission Control planned to vary the crew’s musical diet with upcoming selections scheduled to 

be: “Beethoven’s 6th Symphony”, “Les Sylphides” by Chopin, “Hungarian Rhapsody #2” by Lizst, 

and “Madame Butterfly” by Puccini. - Mission Commentary, Tape 141, page 1

 Also that day: “La Boheme” by Puccini, “Symphony No. 3, the Reinich” by Schumann, music 

by the Fantastics, “Symphony No. 2” by Rachmaninoff, “The Lawrence of Arabia Overture”, and 

“Water Music” by Handel. - Mission Commentary Tape 154, page 2

12/8/65 “High Hopes” - Mission Commentary Tape 170, page 1

 Classical music chosen for the crew included: “The Last Two Movements From Symphony Five 

from The New World” presumably by Dvorak, “Perpetual Motion Opus Number 257” by Johann 

Strauss, and “Air on the G String” by Johann Sebastian Bach performed by the Philadelphia 

orchestra. - Mission Commentary Tape 172, page 8

12/9/65 “What’d I Say” by Trini Lopez from “Trini Lopez at P.J.s” sent to crew, a favorite of Jim 

Lovell’s - Mission Commentary, Tape 215, page 2

 “I Saw Mommie Kissing Santa Claus” relayed from Tananarive station for Jim Lovell. “A 

request from his daughter, Barbara, age 12 who hopes the song will bring her daddy home for 

Christmas, a little early.”- Mission Commentary, Tape 223, page 2

12/11/65 “Hey, Look Me Over” – Louis Armstrong, sent to crew. - Mission Commentary Tape 280, page 1

12/18/65 “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “Going Back to Houston” sent to crew just before retrofire. - 

Mission Commentary Tape 610, page 1

GEMINI 8 March 16, 1966

NOTHING FOUND

GEMINI 9 June 3-6, 1966

6/4/66 "The Lonely Bull" by Tijuana Brass - From “The Last Man on the Moon”. Copyright 1999 by 

Eugene Cernan and Don Davis. St. Martin's Press, LLC, New York, NY., p.124.

6/6/66 “Russian Overture” and “Ludmilla Overture” by Glinka and a composition by Johann Sebastian 

Bach were sent to the crew – Mission Commentary Tape 187, page 1
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 “We have had a change of pace in the music being piped in on one of the inactive (sic) loops here in 

Mission Control. Run the gamut of the four B’s of music, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Brass, Tijuana 

Brass that is.” - Mission Commentary Tape 189, page 1

GEMINI 10 July 18-21, 1966

NOTHING FOUND

GEMINI 11 September 12-15, 1966

NOTHING FOUND

GEMINI 12 November 11-15, 1966

11/14/66 “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music” sent to the crew. - Mission Commentary Tape 

240, page 2 to Mission Commentary Tape 242, page 1

 “Going Back to Houston” sent to crew – Mission Commentary Tape 248, page 1 - Mission 

Commentary Tape 249, page 1

71:52:11 –72:06:38 “The Sound of Music” by Julie Andrews from Gemini XII Voice 

Communications (Air-to-Ground, Ground-to-Air, and Onboard Transcription)

 
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APOLLO PROGRAM

APOLLO 10 May 18-26, 1969

5/21/69 “On a Clear Day” by Robert Goulet

5/22/69 “The Best Is Yet To Come” by Tony Bennett

5/24/69 “It’s Nice to Go Trav’ling” by Frank Sinatra

5/25/69 “Come Fly With Me” wakeup from crew to Mission Control

5/25/69 "Zippity-do-da"

5/26/69 Bugle call for reveille.

APOLLO 12 November 14-24, 1969

11/16/69 Bugle & Boatswain’s Pipe

02 05 05 09 "First Call to Formation" (trumpet)

07 19 39 33 "The Yankee Clipper, Apollo 12" (chorus)

07 19 40 08 "The Second Time Around" (chorus)

08 15 38 21 to 08 14 40 41 "The Yankee Clipper, Apollo 12" (chorus)

APOLLO 15 July 26-August 7, 1971

8/2/71 "Tijuana Taxi" by Tijuana Brass

8/4/71 - Theme From “2001: A Space Odyssey” Spacecraft communicator Karl Henize 

8/6/71 - “Anchors Aweigh” For Jim Irwin.

8/7/71 - Al Kealoha Perry - “Hawaiian War Chant” from record "Hawaii Calls."

APOLLO 17 December 7-19, 1972

 

Gene and Jack had a total of thirteen wake-up calls during the mission. Ten times Houston picked 

out appropriate musical selections, albeit none of them "Hail Purdue" in honor of Gene's alma mater, 

Purdue University. There was no music for their first two wake-up calls in space. For the third morning, 

Houston picked "The Jayhawk Fight Song" in honor of Ron Evans' alma mater, Kansas University. There 

was no music again for the fourth morning but, for the fifth call, on the day that Gene and Jack made their 

landing, Houston played John Denver's version of "The City of New Orleans" which features the phrase 

"Good morning, America, how are you?" in the chorus. "America" is, of course, the name of the Apollo 17 

Command Module. For Gene and Jack's first wake-up call on the Moon, Houston picked Wagner's "The 

Ride of the Valkyries", a tune regularly played on mornings of final exams at Caltech, which was Jack's 

undergraduate school. (Gordon Fullerton and Journal Editor Eric Jones were also Caltech undergrads.) 

Flight Director Gerry Griffin's alma mater, Texas A&M, was honored the next morning with a rendition of 

"The Aggie Fight Song". Strauss' "Thus Spake Zarathustra" is associated with space because of the 

Stanley Kubrick/Arthur C. Clarke film "2001: A Space Odyssey".]

[For the rest of the mission, the selections are: Roberta Flack's rendition of "If Ever I Saw Your 

Face", presumably a reference to the Moon below the orbiting spacecraft; the Doors' "Come on Baby 

Light My Fire", to be played on the day (December 17) that the Apollo 17 crew leaves lunar orbit for the 

trip home; "Home for the Holidays"; The Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun", played in the belief that 

the end of Apollo is not the end of humanity's lunar adventure; and, for the morning of splashdown, a dual 

selection of the Navy's "Anchors Away" and the U.S. national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner."] 

[Journal Contributor Brian Lawrence notes that "the BBC used 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' to 

introduce their TV coverage of all the missions."]

Apollo Lunar Surface Journal (after 183:33:55)

 02 08 35 43 - 02 09 39 39 (TEC) (12/9/72)“Jayhawk Fight Song” in honor of Ron Evans’ 

alma mater.

 04 07 05 01 - 04 07 11 04 (TEC) (12/11/72)“City of New Orleans” - John Denver (“Good 

Morning, America” line in song refers to Command Module, America. The wake-up call for landing day 

was John Denver's version of the Steve Goodman song, “The City of New Orleans,” with its chorus of 

"Good morning, America, how are ya?" It was a happy song that had been suggested by people on the 

night shift in the press room - a song that matched the mood of the crew and, indeed, country-music-fan 

Schmitt requested a replay while he and the others finished waking up.
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 From “Apollo Lunar Surface Journal”

 05 14 15 05 (TEC) (12/12/72)“Ride of the Valkyries” by Wagner wake-up to Schmitt on 

Moon. 

 “Jack Schmitt and Gordon Fullerton were both undergraduates at the California 

Institute of Technology. At 7:00a.m. it was traditional for students with hi-fi systems to 

tie them together and wake up everybody in the undergraduate dorms by playing ‘The 

Ride’ at full volume...” Bob Parker may have had the duty of choosing this piece. “In a 

February 1992 telephone conversation, Bob said that, if it was he who picked the piece, 

it was simply because he likes Wagner and can think of few things more stirring than the 

Ride. He also says that, in the Apollo era, the wake-up music was usually picked the 

night before and that they sometimes had trouble finding a recording in time.” 

 From “Apollo Lunar Surface Journal”

 06 13 45 04 (TEC) (12/13/72) “Texas Aggie Fight Song” to lunar crew. Honors Flight 

Director’s Gerry Griffin’s alma mater, Texas A & M.

 07 12 49 59 (TEC) (12/14/72)“Thus Spake Zarathrustra” (Theme from “2001’) by Richard 

Strauss to lunar crew

 08 12 57 10 (TEC) (12/15/72) “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack to 

lunar crew. Presumably refers to face of the Moon below. Chosen by Neil Hutchinson.

 09 09 30 51 - 09 09 38 54 (TEC) (Dec. 16, 1972) “Light My Fire” The Doors. Same day that 

crew ignites SPS and leaves lunar orbit.

 10 07 50 01 (TEC) (12/17/72)“Home For the Holidays” by Jerry Vale.

 11 08 20 01 (TEC) (12/18/72)“We’ve Only Just Begun” The Carpenters. “...played in the 

belief that the end of Apollo is not end of humanity’s lunar adventure.” From ALSJ. Followed by

Christmas carol recorded by Ron Evans’ neighbors. From MC. 

 12 07 20 02 (TEC) (12/19/72)“Anchors Aweigh” and “The Star Spangled Banner”

 12 07 33 47 (TEC) (12/19/72) “Anchors Aweigh” again

 
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SKYLAB 

 SKYLAB 2 

 

6/21/73 Boatswain’s Call and “Lonely Bull” by Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass. The boatswain’s pipe was 

directed to Pete Conrad by Paul Hand, probably because Conrad was Navy.

“You should have started doing that on about day 2,” Conrad quipped.

 “And the crew down here couldn’t find a song for three bulls, it was only one,” replied Capcom.

 Conrad countered with, “Here’s a little old song, love.”

 And then PAO filled in the background:

 “That last song coming down from Skylab was out of Pete Conrad’s repertoire of country-western 

music he has aboard.”

From Mission Commentary

SL-II MC-1305/2 

Time: 05:31 CDT, 28:10:31 GMT 

 SKYLAB 3

8/21/73 “Girl from Ipanema” and “Anchors Aweigh” 

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen

8/22/73 “The Party’s Over” by Julie London

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen

8/23/73 Army Air Corps Song

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen

8/24/73 “Come Fly With Me”

8/25/73 Selections from Julie London and Tijuana Brass

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen

8/27/73 “My Skylab Home” written and performed by Chuck Morley of Cocoa Beach, Florida courtesy of 

Bill Cummings of Titusville radio station WRMF

 CAPCOM: Karl Henize

9/15/73 “Paralyzed” by Legendary Stardust Cowboy. Sounded like Marine Close Order Drill to Owen 

Garriott

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen

9/17/73 Message from Mother Earth (the alter ego of Bob Crippen) followed by the instrumental, “Come 

Saturday Morning” 

9/18/73 “String of Pearls” by Glenn Miller Orchestra

9/19/73 “Marine Corps Hymn” played for Jack Lousma. Jack said Mission Control should be standing at 

attention.

9/20/73 “Moonlight Becomes You”

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen

9/25/73 “Going Back to Houston” (Sic), probably “Houston” by Dean Martin
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 CAPCOM: Henry Hartsfield

SKYLAB 4

11/21/73 “The Lonely Bull” by [Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass]?

 CAPCOM: Henry Hartsfield

11/22/73 “A Walk in the Black Forest” Symbolic of the fact that the crew of Skylab 4 will be taking a walk 

in the blackness of space to repair the control system for an Earth-scanning antenna.

 CAPCOM: Henry Hartsfield

11/24/73 “Paralyzed” by Legendary Stardust Cowboy

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen

 

12/2/73 “Misty” by Julie London

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen 

12/3/73 Selection from “The Sea” by Rod McKuen

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen

12/4/73 “Muskrat Ramble” by Firehouse Five Plus Two

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen

12/5/73 UNIDENTIFIED

12/6/73 A message from the people of Germany followed by German Christmas songs. Santa Claus Day 

in Germany falls on this date.

 Also

 “Silent Night” by Barbra Streisand

12/7/73 “The Party’s Over” by Julie London

12/10/73 “Lonely Bull (El Solo Toro)” by Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass

12/11/73 “Peanut Vendor” by Chet Atkins

 CAPCOM: Henry Hartsfield

12/13/73 “Eli’s Coming” by Three Dog Night

12/14/73 “Blue Tail Fly” by Burl Ives

 CAPCOM: Richard Truly

12/23/73 Christmas music “The Little Drummer Boy”

12/24/73 “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, “The Little Drummer Boy”

12/25/73 “Ring Christmas Bells”

12/28/73 No wakeup call sent. Crew awakened by their alarm.

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen

12/29/73 “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen

12/30/73 “On Top of the World” by “The Carpenters”

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen
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12/31/73 “Come Back My Love” by Brigitte Bardot

1/1/74 “Auld Lang Syne” Guy Lombardo

 “Paralyzed” by Legendary Stardust Cowboy

1/2/74 UNIDENTIFIED

 CAPCOM: Bruce McCandless

1/3/74 Peter, Paul, and Mary medley

 CAPCOM: Henry Hartsfield

1/4/74 Chet Atkins medley

1/5/74 “Strawberry Roan” and “El Paso” by Marty Robbins

 Commander Gerald P. Carr commented: “Gene Autry, eat your heart out.”

 CAPCOM: Henry Hartsfield

1/6/74 Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass medley

 CAPCOM: Henry Hartsfield

1/12/74 “Come Saturday Morning” 

 CAPCOM: Bruce McCandless

1/13/74 “Light My Fire” by The Lettermen (sic)

 CAPCOM: Bruce McCandless

1/14/74 Neil Diamond vocal

 CAPCOM: Bruce McCandless 

1/15/74 “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” 

 CAPCOM: Bruce McCandless

1/16/74 “Spiders and Snakes” 

 CAPCOM: Bruce McCandless

1/17/74 “O What a Beautiful Morning” 

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen

1/19/74 The Air Force Song (“Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder”),“Anchors Aweigh” & “Ear 

Splitting Louder Boomer” by Steppenwolf. The last for lone civilian of crew, pilot Ed Gibson

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen

1/20/74 “Marines Hymn”, “Quiet Village”, “Hawaiian War Chant”

 CAPCOM: Bob Crippen 

1/21/74 “The Party’s Over” by Julie London

 “Misty” by Julie London

 CAPCOM: William Thornton

1/22/74 “Spiders and Snakes” 

 CAPCOM: Richard Truly

1/23/74 “Happy Birthday” “For He's a Jolly Good Fellow” by Pogue family

 In honor of Bill Pogue

 CAPCOM: Richard Truly
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1/24/74 “Misty” 

 CAPCOM: Richard Truly

1/25/74 “On Top of the World” by The Carpenters

 CAPCOM: Richard Truly

1/26/74 “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” by Julie London

 CAPCOM: Richard Truly

1/27/74 “El Manicero” Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass?

1/28/74 “A medley of soft music...” 

 CAPCOM: Henry Hartsfield

1/29/74 “If” by Bread; 

 “Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves” by Cher; and 

 “Sensuous Woman” by Mystic Moods

 CAPCOM: Henry Hartsfield

1/30/74 “Ghost Riders in the Sky” 

 CAPCOM: Henry Hartsfield

1/31/74 “Burning Love” by Elvis Presley

 CAPCOM: Henry Hartsfield

2/3/74 “Walk Through the Black Forest” by Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass

2/4/74 "Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3" played by Van Cliburn

 

2/5/74 “Out in the Country" by Three Dog Night” and “I Feel the Earth Move” by Carole

 King.

 CAPCOM: Henry Hartsfield

2/6/74 “Soul of Spain” by 101 Strings 

2/7/74 “Carmen” by Bizet and “Shaft” by Isaac Hayes

 CAPCOM: Bruce McCandless

2/8/74 “Goin’Back to Houston” by Dean Martin

APOLLO-SOYUZ TEST PROJECT (ASTP) July 15-24, 1975

7/16/75 “Good Morning Sunshine” Chicago - (Apollo crew)

7/18/75 “Midnight in Moscow” - (Apollo crew)

7/19/75 “Tenderness” Maya Kristalinskaya. Crew did not wake until later in morning - (Apollo crew)

7/20/75 “Tenderness” Maya Kristalinskaya . This time the crew heard it. (Apollo crew)

7/24/75 “Redneck Mother” Jerry Jeff Walker (Apollo crew)

 
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SPACE SHUTTLE 

... the wakeup music is selected by the astronauts working as CAPsule COM municators (CAPCOM) for the 

mission. Traditionally, the music relates to mission objectives or to specific crew members. The speaker 

units onboard the Shuttle were designed to annunciate alarm tones, so they do not reproduce music very 

well. Therefore, songs chosen for wakeup must be very recognizable to the crew. Special greetings, or 

songs which provide commercial gain or profit cannot be used. Selected from recordings widely available 

to the public, the wakeup song list is reviewed and approved preflight. Within the highly structured 

environment of a Shuttle flight the morning wakeup presents an opportunity for levity and a bit of shared 

camaraderie. It tends to stand out as a human element in an otherwise complex technical enterprise.

 Kay Hire, spacecraft communicator on STS-79 in answer to a Mission Control Web question

On shuttle, at the appropriate time, mission controllers in Houston send wake-up music to the crew. 

Mission control picks the songs, with suggestions from astronauts' loved ones. Sometimes a family member

will request a favorite song for a loved one. The station crew wakes up the "old-fashioned" way: the buzz of 

an alarm clock.

 “How do astronauts sleep in space?” - FLORIDA TODAY By Chris Kridler 12/17/02

"Some missions have two shifts, so there is someone awake 24 hours a day," he [NASA spokeman Kelly 

Humphries] said. "On those missions, we don't do wake-up calls. On missions when the crew is on the 

same shift, we send up one when they're supposed to get out of bed." The wake-up calls are orchestrated 

before the mission, Humphries said. "A [crew-member's] family will say, 'I'd like to send this song up to my 

dad, because he's on orbit and he likes this song.' " Some songs fostered team spirit, Humphries said.

 “Astronauts Get Baha Men, AC/DC Wake-Up Calls” – MTV News 2/20/2001

(Please note: On-line audio links to Space Shuttle wakeup calls exists for missions STS-81 to present with 

the exceptions of STS-82, STS-83, STS-84, STS-94, STS-86, and STS-89. See hyperlinks provided below 

the text list for each applicable mission. However, there are no links for mission STS-80 and earlier 

missions)

STS-1 April 12-14, 1981

 4/13/81 “Blast-Off Columbia” Roy McCall

 4/14/81 Short excerpt from an old Spike Jones record followed by a comic tape with 

voices of Houston DJs Hudson and Harrigan kidding Young and Crippen, 

then “Reveille”. "It's splashdown, and Crip, you could both use a shower," 

said one member of the radio team. "You've waited for this for 12 years and 

if you don't wake up you're going to miss the whole darn thing." "Crip,"

said one voice, "get out of the rack." "No, no, no," said the other. "If he 

wakes up he'll spill coffee all over the controls.” “Get to work, you guys. 

You’ve got 300 government agencies out there to support.” Then Mission 

Control came back on the line. “Now hear this, now hear this, reveille, 

reveille, up all idlers. And that last wakeup call, we’d like you to scratch out 

‘splashdown’ and insert ‘touchdown,’” said Mission Control.

In June 1965, 28-year-old Jim Henson started a written log of his activities in what 

became known as “The Red Book.” He noted down what had happened up until that 

point (deemed “Ancient History”) and then recorded anything that he felt was worth 

recording as single line journal entries until the end of 1988. 

Selected curated entries courtesy of The Jim Henson Company Archives.

11/2/1981 “Recording Pigs in Space for NASA space shuttle.”
13

Posted on November 2, 2012 by admin

After the Columbia space shuttle’s successful inaugural round trip in April 1981, NASA 

asked Jim if the Muppets would record wake-up calls that would play for the astronauts 

on the second shuttle voyage launching that November 12th. The astronauts had a great 

affection (and professional admiration, no doubt,) for the crew of the Swinetrek from The 

Muppet Show. Captain Link Hogthrob (Jim), First Mate Piggy (Frank Oz), and Dr. 

Julius Strangepork (Jerry Nelson) were the clear choice to do the job. With input from a 

group of NASA astronauts, Jerry Juhl wrote five scripts for the five day mission. The 

team at mission control on the ground, including the pioneer Sally K. Ride, no doubt 

enjoyed waking Commander Joseph Engle and Pilot Richard Truly with personal ribbing 

from the Swinetrek crew. In the brief bits, Piggy, Link and Strangepork managed to make 

some truly terrible jokes (Richard Truly!) and personally teased the orbiting crew. In 

reference to the fact that this was the first time in history that a spacecraft was making a 

return trip into outer space, when Miss Piggy suggested that Strangepork’s joke had been 

used before, he responded, “It doesn’t matter. So has their spacecraft!” 

After the launch, Jim received an autographed commemorative photo inscribed “To 

Capt. Hogthrob, F.M. Piggy & Dr. Stangepork. Thanks for your help and may the 

Swinetrek and the Columbia cross paths again.” Jerry Juhl and his wife (and fellow 

Fraggle writer) Susan became friends with Sally Ride who oversaw the wake-up call 

program. 

http://www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2012/11/1121981/

STS-2 November 12-14, 1981 

11/13/81 “Pigs in Space” comedy routine #1 by The Muppets (arranged by Sally Ride).

11/14/81 “Pigs in Space” comedy routine #2 by The Muppets (arranged by Sally Ride), preceded by 

rendition of “Columbia, Gem of the Ocean” by the Flight Operations Directorate 

group“Contraband.” 

STS-3 March 22-30, 1982

 3/23/82 “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson

3/24/82 “Marine Corps Hymn”

3/25/82 The Air Force Song (“Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder”) for the benefit of pilot C. 

Gordon Fullerton, an Air Force colonel, who commented: “That will get us off to a fast start.”

3/26/82 “Sail Away” by Christopher Cross while over Madrid.

3/27/82 Exchange of music between the ground and the Columbia, the Columbia playing for the flight 

control team, “I'm Sitting On Top of the World” and the flight team transmitting up “Those 

Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines.”

3/28/82 “Six Days on the Road and I’m Gonna Make It Home Tonight” by Dave Dudley

 NASA stretched the lyrics to make it eight days instead of six...”OK, that’s good music, 

Houston,” Lousma told capsule communicator Brewster Shaw, who had a radio station make 

a change in the tape.

3/29/82 CAPCOM Steve Nagel uplinked "This is My Country" to the crew and the crew responded 

with downlink medley of the “The Air Force Song (“Off We Go Into the Wild Blue

Yonder”)” and the “Marine Corps Hymn.”

 
14

STS-4 June 27-July 4, 1982

6/28/82 “Up, Up and Away”

6/29/82 “Hold That Tiger” by Auburn University Band. 

 Mattingly responded: “Good afternoon, we love that tune.’’ He added, 

“Found out something up here though, you can’t stomp your feet to it.” 

Both astronauts are graduates of Auburn University.

6/30/82 Pilot Henry (Hank) Hartsfield's 25th wedding anniversary and on this first air/ground pass of 

the day, he received taped messages from his two daughters and his wife.

7/1/82 The astronauts got a wake-up call at 1:10 a.m. today from Houston control 

as the ship was passing over the Dakar, Senegal, tracking station. Columbia 

was making its 59th orbit at the time. There was no response at first from 

the crewmen, but mission control reported that engineering data showed the 

pilots were operating their food warmer for breakfast. Mattingly finally 

responded with a cheerful, “Good morning.”

 7/2/82 “Theme from ‘Chariots of Fire’” by Vangelis

7/3/82 College fraternity songs, the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity for TK Mattingly, and Delta Chi for 

Hank Hartsfield.

7/4/82 “This is My Country”

STS-5 November 11-16, 1982

 11/12/82 "76 Trombones" from the "Music Man"

 11/13/82 "Cotton-eyed Joe"

 11/14/82 Marine’s Hymn "Halls of Montezuma" in honor of two Marines onboard: Columbia pilot Bob

Overmyer, active duty Marine Corps colonel, and Vance Brand who began his career as a 

Marine aviator

 11/15/82 "The Stroll"

 11/16/82 "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver

STS-6 April 4-9, 1983

 4/5/83 "Cadets on Parade" and The Air Force Song (“Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder”) by the 

United States Air Force Academy Band

 4/6/83 "Teach Me Tiger" by April Stevens

 4/7/83 “Theme from F-Troop” 

 The significance of that being referring to this crew as the F-crew for the purposes of training 

documents the crews have been listed alphabetically. A-crew was the STS-I crew –John Young,Bob 

Crippen. B-crew was the STS-2 crew - Dick Truly and Joe Engle. Of course, now up to STS-6. This is the 

F-crew and in a jocular vein they refer to themselves not as the F-crew but the F-Troop and accordingly 

the significance of this mornings wake up call. 

From STS-6 AIR/GROUND TRANSCRIPT

 4/8/83 “The Poor Co-pilot,” a tune from Korean War flying days sung by Oscar Brand and the Roger 

Wilco 4’

 4/9/83 “Ode to the Lions” as rendered by Rusty Gordon. This is a Penn State song referring to the Nittany 

Lions, of Penn State University which is Paul Weitz alma mater. He earned his Bachelor in Aeronautical 

Engineering at Penn State in 1954.

 From STS-6 AIR/GROUND TRANSCRIPT

STS-7 June 18-24, 1983

 6/19/83 The University of Texas Fight Song, of course, a tribute to the Mission Commander, Bob 

Crippen who is a UT graduate. It was preceded by the Texas A&M, Texas "Aggie", Fight 

Song which was a greeting card to Crip from Jerry Griffin, the Center Director at JSC, who 

is a Texas A&M graduate.

 From STS-7 AIR/GROUND TRANSCRIPT

 6/20/83 “A&M, Texas A&M Aggie War Hymn” followed by "Tufts Tonia's Day" as rendered by the 

Tufts University Beelzebubs, which is a student acappella group at Tufts University, Rick 

Hauck’s alma mater.
15

 6/21/83 “Texas Aggie War Hymn” followed by “Reveille” followed by "When You're Smiling", as 

rendered by Mary Cleave's father, Mary Cleave, the CAPCOM for this crew, and in response, 

Challenger down linked some music of its own, some version of "Tequila Sunrise."

 6/22/83 “Texas A&M Aggie War Hymn” and the “Washington State University Cougar Fight Song”, 

from which John Fabian is a graduate.

 6/23/83 The uplink music was the “Texas A&M, Texas Aggie War Hymn,” followed by the 

incomparable Leeland Stanford Junior University Marching Band, playing the “Stanford 

Hymn,” which of course is the alma mater of Dr. Sally Ride and it sounded like the crew 

down linked a Beatles' song, "A Hard Day's Night".

 From STS-7 AIR/GROUND TRANSCRIPT

 6/24/83 The usual few opening bars of the “Texas Aggie War Hymn;” that was followed by the 

“Florida State University Fight Song” played by the Florida State University Marching 

Chiefs. Norm Thagard is an alumnus of FSU.

 From STS-7 AIR/GROUND TRANSCRIPT

STS-8 August 30-September 5, 1983

 Mission events reversed with night launch and night-day activities.

 8/31/83 “Georgia Tech Fight Song” for the alma mater of Commander Richard Truly.

 9/1/83 “Illinois Fight Song” for Mission Specialist Dale Gardner’s alma mater.

 9/2/83 “Penn State Fight Song” for Guy Bluford's Alma Mater

 9/3/83 “University of North Carolina Fight Song” for alumnus Bill Thornton.

 9/4/83 “Tala Sawari” performed by sitar player Ravi Shankar in honor of release of Indian INSAT 

satellite.

 9/5/83 “Semper Fidelis” by John Philip Sousa. CAPCOM Brian O’Connor was a Marine Corps 

officer.

STS-9 November 28-December 8, 1983

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-41-B February 3-11, 1984

2/4/84 Wake-up music had been planned to be a selection from the “Contraband,” that group of NASA 

employees and would have featured Ron McNair, astronaut Ron McNair on the tenor sax, but that 

somehow got garbled in the translation going up.

 From STS-41-B AIR/GROUND TRANSCRIPT

 2/5/84 “A Train” by “Contraband” which features as its tenor sax player, Dr. Ron McNair

2/6/84 "Glory, Glory, Colorado" by the University of Colorado Band. That's the fight song of that 

institution which is Vance Brand's alma mater followed by "Ride High You Mustangs" the 

Cal Poly State University fight song which is Pilot Robert Gibson’s alma mater.

2/7/84 Wake up music was an armed forces medley which covered three of the services.

The Marine Corp., of course is Vance Brand's alma mater. He's now a civilian but was originally 

trained as a Marine Corps pilot. The Navy hymn in honor of Mission Specialist, Bruce McCandless and 

Challenger Pilot, Hoot Gibson, both Naval Officers. And the Army song honoring the nation's first 

United States Army Astronaut, Bob Stewart. And the music was performed by guess who, the U.S. Air 

Force Academy Chorale.

 From STS-41-B AIR/GROUND TRANSCRIPT

2/8/84 North Carolina A&T University alma mater of which Mission Specialist Ron McNair is an alumnus and

 "Southern to the Top", the fight song from the University of Southern Mississippi, the alma mater of 

Mission Specialist Bob Stewart.

 From STS-41-B AIR/GROUND TRANSCRIPT

2/9/84 “Believe It Or Not (Theme from ‘The Greatest American Hero’)” by Joey Scarbury in honor 

of that day’s EVA. With some changed verses

2/10/84 A live rendition of The Air Force Song (“Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder”) from all 

the Air Force CAPCOMs.

2/11/84 “In the Mood” by “Contraband”, a musical group composed of JSC employees.

STS-41-C April 6-13, 1984

 4/7/84 “A Boy Named Sue” by Johnny Cash.
16

 4/8/84 Fight song of the University of California at Berkeley” followed by the

Lehigh University Fight Song. The first in honor of Ox van Hoften, the

second in honor of T. J. Hart.

 4/9/84 “Believe It Or Not (Theme from ‘The Greatest American Hero’)” by Joey Scarbury

 4/10/84 “Theme from ‘Chariots of Fire’” by Vangelis

 4/11/84 “Gonna Fly Now (Theme From ‘Rocky’)” by Bill Conti

 4/12/84 “Please Release Me” parody

 Mission Control Houston, that harmonious wake up music performed by CAPCOM's Guy 

Gardner, and John Blaha with the aid of planning team Payload Officer Rob Kelso.

 From STS-41-C AIR/GROUND TRANSCRIPT

 4/13/84 Fight songs from the University of Texas, for mission commander, Bob Crippen, and the 

University of Arizona for Pilot, Dick Scobee.

STS-41-D August 30-September 5, 1984

 8/31/84 “Anchors Aweigh”

 9/1/84 “Telstar” by The Ventures

 9/2/84 “Mr. Spaceman” by The Byrds

 9/3/84 “Hair”

 9/4/84 “Eight Miles High” by The Byrds

 9/5/84 No wakeup call sent because crew woke early to handle a cryo leak.

STS-41-G October 5-13, 1984

 10/6/84 “Flashdance...What A Feeling” by Irene Cara

 10/7/84 “Leaving On a Jet Plane” by John Denver

 10/8/84 “Song of Jon McBride” (written and sung by a friend of McBride’s. See

Before Lift-off: The Making of a Space Shuttle Crew by Henry S.F. Cooper 

Jr.,p.198.

 10/9/84 “Gonna Fly Now (Theme From ‘Rocky’)” by Bill Conti

 10/10/84 “Navy Wings are Made of Gold”

 10/11/84 “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver

 10/12/84 “Star Wars (Main Title)” by John Williams

 10/13/84 “Boomer Sooner” The University of Oklahoma Fight Song 

 and “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be a Long, Long Time)” by Elton 

 John

STS-51-A November 8-16, 1984

 11/9/84 “Good Morning Starshine” from the musical “Hair”. Crew responded with 

“Good Day Sunshine” by The Beatles.

 11/10/84 “Marine Corps Hymn” for the 209th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps. 

Crew responded with John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever”

 CAPCOM: Dave Hilmers

 11/11/84 Theme from film “Victory at Sea” Followed by crew playing “Who Will 

Buy?” by Barbra Streisand

 11/12/84 “The Eagle and the Hawk” by John Denver. Crew responds with “Entry of 

the Gladiators” by composer Julius Fucik

 11/13/84 Aria from the opera “Carmen” followed by an excerpt from Tchaikovsky’s 

“1812 Overture”. Crew did not hear wakeup call. They play “Listen to the 

Music” for Houston Mission Control.

 11/14/84 Theme from the movie, “For a Few Dollars More” followed by “Stars and 

Stripes Forever”

 Bob Springer told the crew, “It’s a tribute to the day’s activities.” Springer referred to the 

fact that originally one group of insurance companies had agreed to pay NASA $4.8 million 

to retrieve only the Palapa payload. But two months ago, another group of underwriters 

signed up for the Westar salvage and NASA said it would do both jobs for a total of $5.5 

million.
17

 Chicago Tribune 11/15/84

 CAPCOM: Bob Springer

 11/15/84 Composite tape of one line from several songs put together by Kevin

 Mathews, LAV FM97 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Crew responded with

“Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be a Long, Long Time)” by Elton John

and “Theme from ‘Chariots of Fire’” by Vangelis.

 11/16/84 Theme from TV show “Peter Gunn”. Crew responded by singing an a 

cappella version of “Amazing Grace.” 

 

STS-51-C January 24-27, 1985

DoD Classified Mission with news blackout - NOTHING FOUND

STS-51-D April 12-19, 1985

 4/13/85 “Top of the World” by The Carpenters

 4/14/85 “Stargazer” by Neil Diamond

 4/15/85 “Skybird” by Neil Diamond

 4/16/85 “Rescue Aid Society” from the Disney film, “The Rescuers”

 4/17/85 “Ride of the Valkyries” by Richard Wagner (not on mission audio)

 4/18/85 “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be a Long, Long Time)” by Elton John

 4/19/85 “America” by Neil Diamond

STS-51-B April 29-May 6, 1985

The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-51-G June 17-24, 1985

 6/18/85 “Eye in the Sky” by The Alan Parsons Project

 6/19/85 “I Feel the Earth Move” by Carole King

 CAPCOM: Bob Springer

 6/20/85 “Oklahoma” sung by Richard Kiley. For Shannon Lucid who is from 

Bethany, Oklahoma. 

 6/21/85 “Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. For Dan Brandenstein.

 CAPCOM: David Leestma

 6/22/85 “Sailing” by Christopher Cross. For Steve Nagel.

 CAPCOM: David Leestma

 6/23/85 First Wakeup: Medley of unidentified Saudi Arabian music for Sultan 

Salman Abdulaziz Al-Saud who is from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and “Be” 

from the movie “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” sung by Neil Diamond.

 CAPCOM: David Leestma

 Second Wakeup: “Happy Talk” from the movie “South Pacific”

 CAPCOM: Bob Springer

 6/24/85 Medley:

 1. “William Tell Overture” by Rossini

 2. “Wedding March” by Felix Mendelssohn

3. “Get Me to the Church on Time” from “My Fair Lady” by Lerner and 

Loewe

In honor of pilot John Creighton’s upcoming marriage

CAPCOM: David Leestma

 

STS-51-F July 29-August 6, 1985

 The flight crew was divided into a red and blue team. Each team worked 12-hour shifts for 24- 

hour-a-day operation. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-51-I August 27-September 3, 1985

 8/28/85 “Waltzing Matilda” awakened the crew as they passed over Australia.
18

 CAPCOM: David Leestma

 8/29/85 “Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz”by Judy Garland. When

a high-pitched voice from mission control said, "Joe Henry, I don't think 

we're in Kansas anymore," Engle laughed and replied: "I think you're right."

 CAPCOM: David Leestma

 8/30/85 “I Saw the Light” by Willie Nelson

 CAPCOM: David Leestma

 8/31/85 “I Get Around” by Beach Boys

 CAPCOM: James D. Wetherbee

 9/1//85 “Lucky Old Sun” by Willie Nelson

 9/2/85 “Stormy Weather” by Willie Nelson. It was chosen due to the powerful Gulf Coast hurricane 

Elena observed from the Discovery.

 CAPCOMS: James D. Wetherbee/Joe Engle

 9/3/85 “Living in the USA” by Linda Ronstadt

 CAPCOMS: James D. Wetherbee/Joe Engle

 

STS-51-J October 3-7, 1985

 DoD Classified Mission with news blackout - NOTHING FOUND

STS-61A October 30-November 6, 1985

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-61-B November 26-December 3, 1985

 11/26/85 The Air Force Hymn for first Air Force space shuttle commander, Brewster H. Shaw, Jr.

 11/27/85 Unidentified

 11/28/85 Unidentified

 11/29/85 “America the Beautiful”

 11/30/85 Unidentified

 12/2/85 “Notre Dame Fight Song” or “Notre Dame Victory March”, a joke played on Jerry Ross, a 

graduate of Purdue, one of Notre Dame’s rivals by Jim Wetherbee.

 CAPCOM: James Wetherbee

 12/3/85 “Born in the U.S.A.” Bruce Springsteen

STS-61-C January 12-18, 1986

 1/12/86 Opening theme from “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” TV show (“Liberty 

Bell March” by John Philip Sousa).

 CAPCOM: Shannon Lucid

 1/13/86 Unidentified

 1/14/86 “Heart of Gold” by Neil Young

 1/15/86 Unidentified

 1/16/86 Unidentified

 1/17/86 Unidentified

 1/18/86 “Stars and Stripes Forever”

STS-51-L January 28, 1986

 DID NOT ACHIEVE ORBIT

STS-26 September 29-October 3, 1988

 9/30/88 Robin Williams opened with “Gooooooood Morning Discovery!!!” in “Good Morning 

Vietnam” style. The original recording produced by Houston area DJ from KKBQ, Mike 

Cahill, also included original lyrics recorded to the theme music of the TV show “Green 

Acres”. Robin Williams was approached by Cahill about doing the tape. NASA knew nothing 

of the tape until it was offered as a gift by Cahill.

Mike Cahill, writer, producer for KKBQ Radio, Houston

and a part-time on-call tour guide at JSC, said he had listened
19

to some wake-up calls a year and a half ago and some of them

were, "You know, kind of awful. So what I did was thought gee it

would be nice to write, produce and custom design songs for the

astronauts. I picked three tunes that were pretty catchy, that

were very short and upbeat. Green Acres was the first one. I

thought gosh that would be the last thing they'll expect to hear.”

Pat Mattingly, who works in Mission Control, found out Cahill was

doing them and said they were looking for new stuff. She gave a

tape to CAPCOM Kathy Sullivan.

Mike wrote the lyrics in early 1987. Threw in Discovery because

knew it would be next Orbiter to fly. He collaborated with Mark

Richardson, the leader of a band named "Eclipse." Mike and Mark

worked on putting the music together. Richardson played keyboard,

guitars, drum machine. Mike called on Patrick Brennan who used to

be with now-defunct group "Popkorn" that played in clubs around

Clear Lake to do the vocals. Mike and Mark helped out on the

chorus for Green Acres.

Green Acres was Mike's favorite. "It was as dopey and stupid and

corny as I had hoped it would be." He said he wanted to show that

NASA people have a sense of humor.

"It's the closest I'll ever get to going to space."

From JSC Query Book

 10/1/88 Parody of Beach Boys “I Get Around” with lyrics “We orbit ‘round” was provided by radio 

disc jockey Mike Cahill.

 10/2/88 Harvey Mudd College (Claremont, CA)“Fight Song”, sung to tune of “Mickey Mouse Club” 

by eight HMC students with intro by Robin Williams. Harvey Mudd is the alma mater of 

mission specialist Pinky Nelson. He commented afterwards: “There isn’t a dry eye in the 

house.”

 10/3/88 “Fun, Fun, Fun...” Beach Boys parody with original lyrics.

STS-27 December 2-6, 1988

 12/3/88 Army “Fight Song” and Navy “Fight Song” because “Hoot” Gibson and 

Bill Shepherd were Navy grads and Mike Mullane graduated from West 

Point.

 12/4/88 Theme from TV show “Rawhide” with satirical lyrics based on an inside 

joke between the Atlantis crew and CAPCOM members of the astronaut 

class of 1984.

 12/5/88 Using “Star Wars” theme music as background, Darth Vader’s voice awoke 

the crew with a message followed by satirical lyrics sung to The Beatles 

tune, “Do You Want to Know a Secret?” The recording was produced by 

Houston radio station KKBQ’s Mike Cahill, Pat Brennan, and Mark 

Richardson.

STS-29 March 13-18, 1989

Discovery’s astronauts generally toed the line on a new NASA edict to cut the comedy, at least for 

public viewing, but they showed some flashes of fun in space, mainly in the battle of wakeup songs. 

When Discovery made the first post-Challenger flight last September, the five astronauts awoke to 

Beach Boys music parodies and clowned for television cameras in bright Hawaiian shirts. And even 

though the December flight of Atlantis was a classified military mission, word leaked of special wakeup 

music not particularly flattering to the Pentagon. And both crews videotaped themselves playing in the 

weightlessness of orbit, turning somersaults, throwing a football and feeding each other candy. The 

tapes were shown at public gatherings. The astronauts’ wacky wakeup calls and zany acrobatics got 

attention, which upset NASA because it felt the reports made the flights look like all play and no work. 

“We’ve learned that if you crack a joke or show somebody doing something funny, that’s the 10 

seconds that gets on the evening news, and not the two hours of work you just showed,” Discovery 

commander Michael Coats said in a pre-launch interview.
20

So space agency officials told Discovery’s crew to cool it when the cameras or microphones were 

on.

“NASA has no official sense of humor anymore,” said Bob Springer, one of Coats’ crewmates. “So 

we’re somewhat restricted now on what we can do.”

Discovery’s flight started out strictly following the policy, with wakeup calls played by Mission 

Control limited to presentations like the Marine Hymn, for the two crewmen who are Marines. But on 

Day 3, things loosened up.

 From AP-NY-03-19-89

 3/14/89 “I Got You (I Feel Good)” James Brown

 CAPCOM: David Low

 3/15/89 Brass band rendition of the “Marine Corps Hymn” - tribute to mission 

specialists Bob Springer and Jim Buchli. “We got two Marines standing at 

attention up here,” said Captain Coats. 

 CAPCOM: Ken Cameron

 3/16/89 Discovery crew woke Mission Control with theme from “Star Trek” followed by 

congratulatory comments from William Shatner. Mission Control responded with a medley 

of school songs from crew members’ alma maters: “Anchors Aweigh”, The Air Force Song

(“Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder”), and Drexel University “Fight Song”

CAPCOM: G. David Low. He responded with ad lib: “Discovery, Houston – Beam Me Up, 

Scotty.”

 3/17/89 Discovery crew woke up Mission Control with “Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, It’s Off To Work We 

Go” from movie “Snow White.” Mission Control replied with “Stars and Stripes Forever”.

CAPCOM: G. David Low

 3/18/89 Mission Control sent recordings of astronauts’ children shouting such things as

 “Get up, Dad, get out of bed and get to work” and “Hi, daddy, this is your darling daughter 

telling you to wake up.” This was followed by “What a Wonderful World” by Louis 

Armstrong. The crew responded with “Homeward Bound” by Simon and Garfunkel.

STS-30 May 4-8, 1989

 5/5/89 Theme music from the film, “Superman”

 5/6/89 Crew members awakened with medley from their respective alma maters: “Anchors Aweigh”, 

played for STS-30 commander Dave Walker – Navy “The Wild Blue Yonder” for pilot Ron 

Grabe and Mark Lee - Air Force Colorado State University fight song for Mission Specialist 

Mary Cleave; and Florida State University fight song for Mission Specialist Norm Thagard

 5/7/89 “Gonna Fly Now (Theme From ‘Rocky’)” by Bill Conti

 5/8/89 “A Hard Day’s Night” The Beatles 

STS-28 August 8-13, 1989

 DoD Classified Mission - NOTHING FOUND

STS-34 October 18-23, 1989 

 10/19/89 Medley: 1. “Hail Purdue”, 2. “Reveille”, 3. “Anchors Aweigh” as tribute to 

commander Don Williams and pilot Mike McCulley who were both Purdue 

and Naval Academy graduates.

 CAPCOM: Tammy Jernigan

 10/20/89 University fight songs medley sent as a tribute to the Mission Specialists and their 

undergraduate schools: 1. University of Oklahoma for Shannon Lucid, 2. University of 

Connecticut for Franklin Chang-Diaz, 3. State University of New York at Buffalo for Ellen 

Baker.

CAPCOM: Tammy Jernigan

 10/21/89 “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. Words “Galileo, Galileo” referring to primary payload 

“Galileo” were substituted for original words “Mama Mia, Mama Mia” by voice of Don 

McMonagle.

 CAPCOM: Tammy Jernigan

 10/22/89 “Centerfield” John Fogerty for sports fans onboard.

 CAPCOM: Tammy Jernigan
21

 10/23/89 “Fly Like An Eagle” Steve Miller Band

 CAPCOM: Ken Cameron

STS-33 November 22-27, 1989

 DoD Classified Mission - NOTHING FOUND

STS-32 January 9-20, 1990 

 1/9/90 “What’s More American?” - Words and music by Kadish Millet. Sung by Bing Crosby

 1/10/90 Parody kidding G. David Low based on tune of “The Banana Boat Song” originally sung by 

Harry Belafonte.

 1/11/90 Parody set to the tune of “Let It Snow” - with a message to the crew in the 

lyrics of “Bring her home” meaning the Long Duration Exposure Facility 

(LDEF). It was a reminder that Columbia originally was to have been in

orbit at Christmastime and that the astronauts had promised to bring the 

satellite back as a holiday gift to all those with experiments on board.

 Written and recorded by “The Prox Ops Boys”, Dave Thompson, Mark Schrock, Brian 

Bertrand, Steve Walker, Ted Rickerl, and Greg Schrage.

 From the Mission Operations Directorate’s Orbit Dynamics (aka Prox Ops) Office

 1/12/90 Parody “Hello LDEF”, sung to the tune of “Hello Dolly” intended as a tribute to the cargo 

which was retrieved on 1/12/90. Written and sung by James C. Martin and his friend Terry 

Radomski. (Martin is the son of Mrs. F. C. Martin, secretary to LDEF Chief Scientist Bill 

Kinard)

 1/13/90 The astronauts took time out for a little fun Saturday afternoon,

 playing the song “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” from the movie of

 the same name as they showed Mission Control a drawing of LDEF wildly 

entwined in tomato vines. It referred to the student (SEEDS) experiment, 

sending 12.5 million tomato seeds into orbit aboard LDEF.

 1/13/90 “Notre Dame Victory March” for pilot Jim Wetherbee, graduate of Notre 

Dame. Sung by quartet of JSC Mission Operations Directorate personnel, 

all Notre Dame graduates (Lead: Mark Ferring, class of ’80. Tenor: Chris 

McKenna, class of ’84. Baritone: Pete Hasbrook, class of ’85. Bass: Fisher 

Reynolds, class of ’82) "That was provided by local alumni of a school you 

know pretty well,” said Mission Control's Ken Bowersox.

“Yeah, there's a lot of Damers down there," said Wetherbee, a 1974 

graduate of the school in aerospace engineering.

 CAPCOM: Ken Bowersox

 1/14/90 “Bow Down to Washington”, University of Washington’s fight song for Mission Specialist 

Bonnie Dunbar. (from tape with a bunch of fight songs performed by USC band)

 1/15/90 “Glory, Glory, Colorado”, the University of Colorado fight song, in honor of Mission 

Specialist Marsha Ivins.

 1/16/90 Three-part wakeup call in honor of Shuttle Commander Dan Brandenstein’s 47th birthday 

including: a trombone and piano ensemble playing “Danny Boy” performed by Martin and 

Radomski; Boston Celtics basketball forward Larry Bird offering congratulations to the crew 

and birthday wishes to Brandenstein; and Astronaut Office personnel singing “Happy 

Birthday”. "Hi Dan. This is Larry Bird. Congratulations to you and the crew on the slam dunk 

with LDEF," referring to its rescue last week. He ended with, "Happy birthday and have a 

safe landing." Astronaut Kenneth Bowersox in mission control then said: "Good morning, 

Columbia, and a happy birthday to Danny boy."

 1/17/90 “Washington and Lee” the fight song of Washington and Lee University for David Low.

 1/18/90 “Born to Be Wild” Steppenwolf. "We're ready to rock and roll!" Wetherbee radioed referring 

to the return to Earth.

 1/19/90 “Anchor’s Aweigh” for Lt. Commander U.S. Navy Wetherbee; and University of WisconsinRiver Falls’ fight song performed by the school’s pep band in honor of graduate Brandenstein.

STS-36 February 28-March 4, 1990
22

 DoD Classified Mission - NOTHING FOUND

STS-31 April 24-29, 1990

 4/25/90 “Crew members began their day at 2:43 a.m. when Capcom Kathy Thornton woke the crew 

with ‘Space is Our World,’ an original song written by the Houston band ‘Private Numbers’ 

with the help of the STS-31 flight training team.”

 4/26/90 “Shout” by Otis Day and the Knights from the soundtrack of the movie “Animal House”

 4/27/90 "Kokomo" by Beach Boys

 CAPCOM: Kathryn Thornton

 4/28/90 "Cosmos" by Frank Hays on album "Don't Ask" in honor of Hubble Telescope

 CAPCOM: Kathryn Thornton

 4/29/90 "Rise and Shine" by Raffi with Ken Whiteley

 CAPCOM: Kathryn Thornton

STS-41 October 6-10, 1990

 10/7/90 “Rise and Shine, Discovery!” written and performed by Boeing Aerospace & Electronics Co. 

Employees as a tribute to the successful deployment of the Ulysses probe, using a Boeing

built booster. Sung by the Boeing Employees Choir. Michael Kysar, Boeing Choir Director, 

and Gloria Ball, choir member, collaborated on words and music. It includes the refrain:

 Sailing along, sailing along, 

 flying to explore the galaxy

 10/8/90 The Coast Guard Hymn “Semper Paratus” (Always Ready) by The Coast Guard Band in 

honor of Bruce Melnick, the first Coast Guard member to fly in space.

 10/9/90 “Fanfare for the Common Man” written by Aaron Copland, one of copilot Robert Cabana’s 

favorites, followed by:

The University of Missouri Fight Song, to pay homage to commander Richard Searfoss’ alma 

mater.

 CAPCOM: Story Musgrave

 10/10/90 “The Highwayman” by The Highwaymen (Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Waylon 

Jennings, and Johnny Cash). For Thomas Akers, a fan of country music.

STS-38 November 15-20, 1990

 DoD Classified Mission - NOTHING FOUND

STS-35 December 2-10, 1990

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-37 April 5-11, 1991

 4/6/91 Music by Marching Illini Band from the University of Illinois. Band members had a special 

message for one of their alumni STS-37 commander Steve Nagel. An Illinois native, Nagel 

graduated from the University of Illinois in 1969.

 4/7/91 “The Marine Corp Hymn” performed by the U. S. Naval Academy band. The music was in 

honor of STS 37 pilot Ken Cameron who is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S.M.C.

 4/8/91 “Hail Purdue” by Purdue University Band for alumni Jerry Ross.

 4/9/91 “10,000 Men of Harvard Want Victory Today” sung by Harvard Glee Club, in honor of Jay 

Apt, a Harvard graduate. About five minutes after the wake up call, Apt played a recorded 

Scottish tune from Atlantis in honor of the highest and fastest Highlanders, Ross and 

Cameron.

 4/10/91 “La Bamba” by the Brass Rhythm and Reeds for Linda Godwin who played saxophone in the 

band. Flight director Milt Heflin played Trombone in the same band.

 4/11/91 “Magnum PI” Theme with a greeting by Tom Selleck for Mission Specialist 

Linda Godwin. She is a big Selleck fan. "Good morning, and a special 

wakeup to Linda," the message said. "This is Tom Selleck and I hope you 

had a nice night's sleep, but it's time to get up and go to work."
23

STS-39 April 28-May 6, 1991

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-40 June 5-14, 1991

 6/6/91 “Great Balls of Fire” Jerry Lee Lewis

 6/7/91 A “Military Medally” Marine Corps and Air Force music for O’Connor, a Colonel in USMC 

and Gutierrez, a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force.

 6/8/91 “Yakety Yak” by The Coasters

 6/9/91 Greetings from crew’s children followed by “Somewhere Out There” from movie “An 

American Tail”

 6/10/91 “Cow Patty”, a humorous western ballad that is a favorite of mission specialist Tammy 

Jernigan.

 6/11/91 “Shout - The Faber College Theme” by Otis Day and the Knights from the movie “Animal 

House”

 6/12/91 “Twistin’ the Night Away” by Sam Cooke, from the movie, “Animal House”

 6/13/91 “Chain Gang” by Nylons. 

 6/14/91 “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.

STS-43 August 2-11, 1991

 8/3/91 “Back in the High Life” by Steve Winwood

 8/4/91 Excerpt from “Dances With Wolves” soundtrack for James Adamson who 

is from Montana

 8/5/91 Custom music medley sung by friends of the STS-43 crew from Rockwell-Downey, in 

California.

 8/6/91 Music of the Clear Lake High School Orchestra playing selections from “Phantom of the 

Opera.” Commander John Blaha’s daughter, Caroline, plays in the orchestra.

 8/7/91 “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong

 8/8/91 “Cowboy in the Continental Suit” by Chris LeDoux for country and western fan James 

Adamson

 8/9/91 Washington and Lee University fight song for graduate G. David Low

 8/10/91 Sounds from Shannon Lucid’s backyard (frogs, crickets, etc.)

STS-48 September 12-18, 1991

 9/13/91 “Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley

 9/14/91 “Release Me” by Elvis Presley. In anticipation of deployment of Upper Atmosphere Research 

Satellite (UARS).

 9/15/91 “Bare Necessities” from film “Jungle Book”. Played for Ken Reightler’s daughters who were 

in Mission Control Center viewing room.

 9/16/91 “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” by Elvis Presley. Chosen for its line “Are you sorry we 

drifted apart?” referring to Discovery’s separation from its payload (UARS)

 9/17/91 “Return to Sender” by Elvis Presley. In honor of expected landing.

STS-44 November 24-December 1, 1991

 11/25/91 "Space - the final frontier. 

 This is the voyage of the Space Shuttle Atlantis -

 Its ten-day mission:

 To explore new methods of remote sensing and observation of the planet Earth -

 To seek out new data on radiation in space, and a new understanding of

 the effects of microgravity on the human body -

 To boldly go where two hundred and fifty-five men and women have gone before.

 Hello - Fred, Tom, Story, Jim, Tom, and especially Mario -

 This is Patrick Stewart, choosing not to outrank you as Captain Jean-Luc Picard,

 saying that we are confident of a productive and successful mission.

 Make it so."
24

 All this to the theme music of "Star Trek - the Next Generation" 

Capcom Marsha Ivins contacted actor Patrick Stewart to request the 

special wakeup call for Mario Runco, a big "Star Trek" fan. PC

 11/26/91 Reveille (bugle call) followed by gunfire preceding “This is the Army, Mr. 

Jones” by Irving Berlin from the movie, “This is the Army.”

 11/27/91 “It’s Time to Love (Put a Little Love in Your Heart)” by James Brown 

 11/28/91 Recorded turkey gobbles followed by “Cheeseburger in Paradise” Jimmy 

Buffett

 11/29/91 “Twist and Shout” from the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”

 11/30/91 University of Alabama and Auburn University fight songs. For football game that day 

between the schools and Auburn graduates Jim Voss and Jan Davis. Voss was on Atlantis for 

his first spaceflight, Davis was the Capcom. PC

 12/1/91 “In the Mood”

STS-42 January 22-30, 1992

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-45 March 24-April 2, 1992

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-49 May 7-16, 1992

 5/8/92 “God Bless the U.S.A.” by Lee Greenwood.

 5/9/92 “Rescue Me’ by Fontella Bass.

 5/10/92 Theme song from the Disney animated feature "Winnie the Pooh" with

taped messages from Kathy Thornton’s children for Mother’s Day.

 5/11/92 “Gonna Fly Now (Theme From ‘Rocky’)” by Bill Conti

 5/12/92 “Kokomo” by The Beach Boys.

 5/13/92 No wakeup call.

 5/14/92 “I Wake Up Every Morning With a Smile on My Face” by Boxcar Willie.

 5/15/92 “Son of a Son of a Sailor” by Jimmy Buffett

STS-50 June 25-July 9, 1992

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-46 July 31-August 8, 1992

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-47 September 12-20, 1992

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-52 October 22-November 1, 1992 

 10/23/92 “Wake Up Columbia” an original composition by Crow Carroll

 10/24/92 “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” by Big Joe Turner, in honor of deployment of Laser Geodynamics 

Satellite-II which will help measure the shake, rattle, and roll of the Earth’s crust

 10/25/92 Unidentified

 10/26/92 “The World is Waiting for the Sunrise” written by Gene Lockhart and 

performed by Les Paul and Mary Ford. "His daughter June -- who needs no 

introduction, I'm sure -- is in the (Mission Control) viewing room this 

morning and sends her best wishes," Mission Control said. "Well, great. 

Thanks a lot. We'll have to see if we can learn that song" shuttle 

commander James Wetherbee replied. June Lockhart was one of the stars of 

the TV show, “Lost in Space.”

 CAPCOM: Don Thomas

 10/27/92 “Birthday” by The Beatles in honor of Pilot Mike Baker’s 39th birthday
25

 10/28/92 Hawaiian music set the tone for today's planned discussion between the STS-52 crew, 

students at the University of Hawaii and the Polynesian sailing canoe "Hokulea" located 

somewhere in the South Pacific.

 10/29/92 “Mack the Knife” Bobby Darin

 10/30/92 “Bang the Drum” Todd Rundgren, in honor of Max-Q drummer and Mission Commander 

Jim Wetherbee.

 10/31/92 “Monster Mash” Bobby “Boris” Pickett. In honor of Halloween Mission 

Control included a pattern for a cutout mask in flight plans radioed to the 

shuttle. The mask was of Moe of the Three Stooges.

 11/1/92 “Notre Dame Victory March” sung by JSC employees and Notre Dame grads, Chris 

McKenna, Mark Ferring, Pete Hasbrook, and Fisher Reynolds. Notre Dame is also the alma

mater of Wetherbee.

STS-53 December 2-9, 1992 (Dog Crew I)

 12/3/92 “Jingle Bells” by the Singing Dogs. The astronauts, who nicknamed 

themselves "the dogs of war" because their flight supposedly is the last 

shuttle mission devoted to Defense Department work, were roused by a 

canine rendition of "Jingle Bells."

"Crew dogs, wake up. We got work to do," Mission Control's Carl Meade 

said. "Good morning, Carl. Dogs of war are wide awake," commander 

David Walker replied.

 12/4/92 “I Want to Be a Dog”, a children’s song by Nancy Cassidy

 12/5/92 Bagpipe medley by Houston Highlanders Pipe Band. (Medley: Bonnie Dundee, Gary Green, 

and The Eyes of Texas).

 12/6/92 The Air Force Song (“Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder”)

 12/7/92 “Anchor’s Aweigh” played for crew members Dave Walker and Bob Cabana

 12/8/92 “Caissons Go Rolling Along” by Bob Sharples and His Military Band in honor of Army 

Lieutenant Colonels Jim Voss and Rich Clifford.

 12/9/92 “From the Halls of Montezuma”.

STS-54 January 13-19, 1993

 1/14/93 The Air Force Song (“Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder”)

 1/15/93 “Hail Purdue” by Purdue Band and Glee Club. For Greg Harbaugh, a Purdue 

alumnus.

 1/16/93 No wakeup call sent.

 1/17/93 “Centerfield” by John Fogerty.

 1/18/93 “Stardust” by Willie Nelson

 1/19/93 “Ain’t Misbehavin” by Eddie Higgins and Rebecca Parris

STS-56 April 8-17, 1993

The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-55 April 26-May 6, 1993

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-57 June 21-July 1, 1993 

6/22/93 “Sitting on Top of the World” by Les Paul and Mary Ford

6/23/93 “The Smurfs” in honor of Mission Specialist Nancy Sherlock, nicknamed “Smurf”.

6/24/93 “Rendezvous” by The Hudson Brothers

6/25/93 “The Walk of Life” by Dire Straits in honor of upcoming space walk

6/26/93 “Holiday” by Madonna ...”to suggest the crew take some time to celebrate the success of their 

mission.”

6/27/93 “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown, “...a favorite tune of Payload Commander David 

Low. 

6/28/93 “Catch a Falling Star” by Perry Como.

6/29/93 No wakeup call sent.
26

6/30/93 No wakeup call sent.

7/1/93 “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”

The mission was extended twice to wait for acceptable landing weather in 

Florida. On July 1st if the weather was acceptable it would land in Florida, 

otherwise it would be sent to California. So it wasn't a question of whether 

they would land that day but where. Of course after that many delays the 

crew may have wondered when they would finally make it home... Capcom 

Susan Helms played "I'll Be Home For Christmas". Given that it was July 

1st they presumably did make it home in time. PC

STS-51 September 12-22, 1993 

 9/13/93 “Please Release Me” by Elvis Presley. In preparation for deployment of 

ORFEUS-SPAS payload. The singer was actually well known Elvis 

impersonator Carl Walz on his maiden spaceflight. He had the unusual 

distinction of hearing his own voice singing for his first wakeup in space.

PC

 9/14/93 “Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Latitudes” by Jimmy Buffett

 9/15/93 “Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes” by Perry Como

 9/16/93 “Walk, Don’t Run”

 9/17/93 Videotape views of Earth with “Theme for the Common Man” by crew beat 

Mission Control’s wakeup call by five minutes. "We didn't mean to preempt 

your music, just precede it," Discovery commander Frank Culbertson Jr. 

told Mission Control's Susan Helms. Of course the videotape views of the 

Earth are just on the flight day highlights. On the shuttle they just hear the 

music. PC

 9/18/93 Crew played “A Whole New World” for Mission Control followed by “Star Wars Theme” 

sent to Discovery.

 9/19/93 “Rendezvous” by Hudson Brothers

 9/20/93 “Heartbreak Hotel” by astronaut band Max-Q. Carl Walz, nicknamed Elvis, 

is lead singer in the band.

 9/21/93 “Surfin’ Safari” by The Beach Boys

 9/22/93 No wakeup call sent

STS-58 October 18-November 1, 1993

 10/19/93 No music, just greeting, “Good morning, how are you?” from Linda Ham, 

Flight Director. 

 10/20/93 “Theme From the Movie 2001, a Space Odyssey”

 10/21/93 No wakeup call sent.

 10/22/93 “Jump In the Line” by Harry Belafonte; and “Doctor! Doctor!” by 

Thompson Twins.

 10/23/93 “I Know You’re Out There, Somewhere” by The Moody Blues 

 10/24/93 “Back Home in Indiana” by Jim Nabors for Mission Specialist David Wolf, 

who hails from Indianapolis.

 10/25/93 “Shiny Happy People” by R.E.M.

 10/26/93 Happy Trails” by Roy Rogers

 10/27/93 “Look At Us Now” by Joe Walsh

 10/28/93 No wakeup call sent.

 10/29/93 “From A Distance” by Bette Midler

 10/30/93 Theme from “St.Elsewhere” by Mike Post

 10/31/93 “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett

 11/1/93 No wakeup call sent.

STS-61 December 2-13, 1993 

 12/2/93 “Cosmos” by Frank Hayes (6:57 p.m.) outside," “Hey, good morning, 

Houston. It can’t be morning -- It’s still dark outside,” shuttle pilot Ken 
27

Bowersox told misslon control. “No. You're confused again, Sox. Good 

morning,” a Houston fllght controller prodded him.

 12/3/93 “Get Ready” by Rare Earth

 12/4/93 “Fanfare for the Common Man” by Aaron Copland

 12/5/93 “With a Little Help From My Friends” by The Beatles

 12/6/93 “Doctor My Eyes” by Jackson Browne

 12/7/93 “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash

 12/8/93 A traditional Swiss Alpine song chosen by Mission Specialist Claude 

Nicollier

 12/9/93 “A Hard Day’s Night” by The Beatles

 12/10/93 “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” by Willie 

Nelson

 12/11/93 “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” by Willie Nelson

 12/12/93 “I Can See For Miles” by The Who

STS-60 February 3-11, 1994 

 2/4/94 “Early Morning Riser” by Pure Prairie League

 2/5/94 “Rawhide” sung by the STS-60 simulation and training team

 2/6/94 “The Bug” by Mary Chapin Carpenter

 2/7/94 “Let There Be Peace on Earth” sung by the fourth graders of the Armand Bayou Elementary 

School in Clear Lake. One of the singers was Emily Reightler, the daughter of shuttle pilot 

Ken Reightler. She was celebrating her tenth birthday.

 2/8/94 “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd in honor of astronaut Jan Davis of Huntsville.

 2/9/94 Russian folk tunes in honor of Mission Specialist Sergei Krikalev, the first Russian cosmonaut 

to fly aboard a U.S. spacecraft.

 2/10/94 “I Get Around” by The Beach Boys.

 2/11/94 “Homeward Bound” by Simon and Garfunkel.

STS-62 March 4-18, 1994

 3/5/94 “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown

 3/6/94 “Picky, Picky Head” by Wailing Souls from movie, “Cool Runnings”.

A favorite movie of John Casper's children. PC

 3/7/94 Medley of Armed Forces anthems sung by the U.S. Military Glee Club: The 

Air Force Song (“Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder”), “Anchors 

Aweigh”, U.S. Army Anthem, “The Caissons Go Rolling Along” and The 

Marine Corps Hymn “Halls of Montezuma”. The five person crew included 

Air Force -- Casper, Marine -- Allen, Army -- Gemar, Navy -- Thuot, and 

civilian Ivins. This is the first time all of the major Armed Forces were 

represented on once space mission, hence the medley. PC

 3/8/94 “Space Shuttle Boogie” written by Cindy and Michael Rosenbaum

 3/9/94 “Wake the World” by The Beach Boys

 3/10/94 Marine Corps Hymn “Halls of Montezuma”

 3/11/94 “Takin' Care of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

 3/12/94 “Be Our Guest” from movie “Beauty and the Beast” soundtrack in honor of 

the commander's two children

 3/13/94 Crew with 1⁄2 day off, beat MCC to wakeup call. They sent down “Surfin’ USA” by The 

Beach Boys. MCC responded with “I Get Around” by The Beach Boys.

 3/14/94 “Starship Trooper” by Yes.

 3/15/94 “View From Above” written and performed by Allison Brown, who was inspired to write the 

song by Mission Specialist Marsha Ivins.

 3/16/94 “Travelin’ Prayer” by Billy Joel.

 3/17/94 “Living in Paradise” by The Brothers Cazimero

 3/18/94 “The Mermaid” by The Clancy Brothers.

STS-59 April 9-20, 1994
28

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Due to the 24 hour coverage, only one wakeup call 

was sent.

4/18/94 Blue Team: “Freedom” performed by the White Elementary School 5th

grade choir. Mission Specialist Rich Clifford’s son, Brandon, was a student 

at White.

STS-65 July 8-23, 1994

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-64 September 9-20, 1994

The high number of Max Q songs was in honor of mission specialist Susan Helms, a keyboardist 

for the all-astronaut band. PC

 9/10/94 Parody of The Beach Boys song “Fun, Fun, Fun” called “We’ll Have Fun, Fun, Fun on the 

Shuttle,” sung by Max Q (from Mach 25 tape).

 9/11/94 Parody of the song “My Girl” called “My World” by Max Q (from Mach 25 tape).

 9/12/94 “Ace in the Hole” by George Strait.

 9/13/94 Parody of The Beach Boys song “I Get Around” called “We Orbit Around” by Max Q (from 

Mach 25 tape).

 9/14/94 Parody of the “Green Acres” TV theme by Max Q (from Mach 25 tape) called “On Orbit”.

 9/15/94 “Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley

 9/16/94 “EVA” Surfing” by Max Q (from Mach 25 tape).

 9/17/94 “Another Saturday Night” by Max Q (from Mach 25 tape). 

 9/18/94 “This Is the Time” by Billy Joel.

 9/19/94 “Yakety Yak” by The Coasters.

 9/20/94 Sounds of chirping birds and a crowing rooster and a medley of cartoon theme songs 

including Woody Woodpecker.

STS-68 September 30-October 11, 1994

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock, but Mission Control did include one wakeup call.

 10/11/94 "Tiny Bubbles" There was a problem with the galley water system 

putting bubbles into the crew's drinking water. So Capcom Bill 

McArthur sent the song to the Blue shift. PC

STS-66 November 3-14, 1994

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent. (JSC Query 

Book).

STS-63 February 3-11, 1995

The high number of Max Q songs was in honor of commander Jim Wetherbee, the 

drummer for the band. PC

 2/4/95 “On Orbit is the Place to Be” by Max Q (from Mach 25 tape).

 2/5/95 “Another Saturday Night” by Max Q (from Mach 25 tape).

 2/6/95 “Make New Friends” From a Girl Scout Brownie troop (the daughter of the 

people who send flowers to MCC each mission is in the troop)

 2/7/95 “Blue Danube Waltz” from soundtrack of “2001, A Space Odyssey”

 2/8/95 Opening sequence of “Time” from Pink Floyd's album, “Dark Side of the 

Moon”

 2/9/95 “Surfing EVA” by Max Q (from Mach 25 tape).

 2/10/95 “Liberty Bell March” better known as the theme from the TV show, “Monty 

Python's Flying Circus.”

 2/11/95 “The End” by The Doors. 

STS-67 March 2-18, 1995

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent. (JSC Query 

Book).
29

STS-71 June 27-July 7, 1995

 6/28/95 “I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher.

 6/29/95 “From a Distance” by Nancy Griffith. It was preceded by special birthday greetings to Pilot 

Charlie Precourt from his wife and daughters.

 6/30/95 “Your Wildest Dreams” by The Moody Blues.

 7/1/95 Russian pop song “Kuca, Kuca, Kuca” (pronounced Keesa Keesa Keesa)

 7/2/95 “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” by Jimmy Buffett

 7/3/95 The Florida State Seminole Fight Song “...in honor of former Seminole Norm 

Thagard...celebrating his 52nd birthday today”.

 7/4/95 “America the Beautiful” by Whitney Houston was sent to wakeup Atlantis’ crew just before 

the undocking with the Mir space station.

 7/5/95 “Flying solo and ahead of the Mir space station by about 120 nautical miles, the crew on 

board Atlantis awoke to a children’s song, ‘I Love My Moon,’ a special dedication to 

Commander Hoot Gibson from his 26-day old daughter Emilee Louise.” Query Book has 

singer as Tonja Weimer.

 7/6/95 Parodies of the Beatles’ “Hello, Goodbye” and Paul Anka’s “Lay Your Head on My 

Shoulder”.

 7/7/95 “Take the Long Way Home” by Supertramp.

STS-70 July 13-22, 1995 

 7/14/95 “The crew of STS-70 was awakened shortly after three this morning Central time to the theme 

from ‘Woody Woodpecker,’ a cartoon character adopted as the mascot for the mission when 

real woodpeckers plucked holes in protective insulation on Discovery’s external fuel tank last 

month causing a delay in the mission.” MCC Status Report

 7/15/95 “The workday began shortly after two o’clock this morning with a wakeup call from Kate 

Smith singing ‘Beautiful Ohio’ in honor of four of the five crewmembers being from that 

state.” MCC Status Report

 7/16/95 “The crew was awakened at 1:11 a.m. CDT to the sounds of Mission Specialist Nancy 

Currie’s 8-year-old daughter, Stephanie, and her Ferguson Elementary School second-grade 

classmates singing ‘God Bless the USA.’ ” MCC Status Report. JSC Query Book has song as 

“God Bless America.”

 7/17/95 Fight song for the Cleveland Indians, “Talkin’ Tribe.” “Mission Specialist Mary Ellen 

Weber responded with ‘Good mornin’ Houston, how ‘bout then Indians?’” MCC Status 

Report

 7/18/95 “Beer Barrel Polka” by Gene Hackemack – because Cleveland is the polka capital of the 

world. Mission Control sent the theme from the movie “Starman” as a good night call.

 7/19/95 Unknown.

 7/20/95 “Eyes of Texas”, a UT song. Randy Stone switched from an Aggie song to a UT song.

STS-69 September 7-18, 1995 (Dog Crew II) 

 9/8/95 “Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley.

 9/9/95 Theme from “Scooby Doo.”

 9/10/95 “Bingo” sung by Madeline Cockrell’s (Pilot Kenneth Cockrell’s five-yearold daughter) kindergarten class.

 9/11/95 Theme from “Rin Tin Tin”.

 9/12/95 “A Hard Day’s Night” by The Beatles.

 9/13/95 Theme from the film “Patton”, a tribute to Jim Voss who was promoted to 

the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army.

 9/14/95 Theme from cartoon TV show, “Underdog”, attribute to Mike Gernhardt 

who has the same nickname.

 9/15/95 “He’s A Tramp” from the cartoon movie “Lady and the Tramp”.

 9/16/95 “Walk Like a Man” by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.

 9/17/95 “Snoopy’s Theme” from animated cartoon TV show, “Peanuts.”

STS-73 October 20-November 5, 1995
30

The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-74 November 12-20, 1995

 11/13/95 “Dance of the Flowers” by Tchaikovsky. Referring to orbital ballet Atlantis will perform to 

dock with Mir.

 11/14/95 “Yeager’s Triumph” from “The Right Stuff” by Bill Conti.

 11/15/95 “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Arlen, Harburg, and Stothart from the film, “The Wizard 

of Oz”. Sung by Judy Garland.

 11/16/95 “Blue Danube” by Johann Strauss.

 11/17/95 “Northwest Passage” by Stan Rogers.

 11/18/95 “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” performed as as a drill team chant cadence.

 11/19/95 Theme from the IMAX film, “The Dream is Alive.”

STS-72 January 11-20, 1996

1/12/96 Theme from “Star Wars” by John Williams.

1/13/96 “Sea in Springtime” (traditional Japanese song) for Koichi Wakata and SFU 

retrieval.

1/14/96 Theme from the original “Godzilla” film.

1/15/96 “Star Trek Next Generation” theme by James Horner.

 1/16/96 “Smallest Astronaut” by The Royal Guardsmen.

1/17/96 “Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, It’s Off To Work We Go” from movie “Snow 

White.”

 1/18/96 “All I Wanna Do” by Sheryl Crow.

1/19/96 “Darth Vader’s Theme” from “Star Wars” film.

1/20/96 Theme from the IMAX film, “The Dream is Alive.”

STS-75 February 22-March 9, 1996

The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-76 March 22-31, 1996 

 3/23/96 “Anywhere is...” by Enya for Rick Searfoss.

 3/24/96 “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder” referring to Shannon Lucid’s arrival the next day.

 3/25/96 “Awake, the Harp” by Haydn, recorded by the Houston Choral Society for Mission Specialist 

Ron Sega.

 3/26/96 “Another Saturday Night” by Max Q 

 3/27/96 “Free Flying” written by Brandon and Richard Clifford for father Michael Clifford’s 

spacewalk that day.

 3/28/96 “Jumpin’ at the Woodside” by Brass, Rhythm and Reed.

 3/29/96 “Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa.

STS-77 May 19-29, 1996

 5/20/96 The Air Force Song (“Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder”) in honor of 

Commander John H. Casper, an Air Force Colonel, and pilot Curtis L. 

Brown, an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. 

 5/21/96 “Up, Up and Away” by The Fifth Dimension in honor of the Inflatable Antenna Experiment 

conducted yesterday as part of the Spartan mission.

 5/22/96 “Anchors Aweigh”

 5/23/96 “Milky Way”, a children’s song provided by Casper’s wife, Chris.

 5/24/96 “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me” by Gloria Estefan, requested by Curt Brown’s fiancee.

 5/25/96 “Down Under” by Men At Work, in honor of Australian-born Mission Specialist Andy 

Thomas

 5/26/96 “Up Down, and Touch the Ground” Tigger and his friends from “Winnie the Pooh” sing-along

 5/27/96 “Light My Fire” by The Doors. (Pre-sleep music: “Good Night Sweetheart” by The Spaniels.

 5/28/96 “Start Me Up” by The Rolling Stones

 5/29/96 “I Can See Clearly Now” by Jimmy Cliff
31

STS-78 June 20-July 7, 1996

 6/21/96 “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty.

 CAPCOM: Kay Hire

 6/22/96 “Bad to the Bone” by George Thorogood & the Destroyers referring to musculoskeletal 

science experiments.

 CAPCOM: Kay Hire

 6/23/96 “Flight of the Bumblebee” performed by the 1980 U.S. Air Force Academy Drum and Bugle 

Corps. Payload commander Susan Helms played xylophone on the recording.

 CAPCOM: Kay Hire

 6/24/96 “Space Oddity” by David Bowie. The “Major Tom” reference is to Tom Henricks.

 CAPCOM: Kay Hire

 6/25/96 “She Blinded Me With Science” by Thomas Dolby

 CAPCOM: Kay Hire

 6/26/96 “Back on the Chain Gang” by The Pretenders. The crew went back to work after a day off.

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 6/27/96 “Every Breath You Take” by The Police. Refers to lung function experiment.

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 6/28/96 “Carolina in My Mind” by James Taylor. Charles Brady considers Robbins, NC his home.

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 6/29/96 “Another Saturday Night” by Max Q, the all-astronaut band, with Susan Helms on keyboards

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 6/30/96 “Les Murs De Poussiere (Dusty Walls)” by Francis Cabrel for Favier.

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 7/1/96 “Oh, Canada” the Canadian National Anthem by Vienna State Opera Orchestra for Brent 

Thirsk

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 7/2/96 “Closer to Free” by The BoDeans for Linnehan.

 CAPCOM: Bill Gregory

 7/3/96 “Wake Up Little Susie” by The Everly Brothers for Helms.

 CAPCOM: Bill Gregory

 7/4/96 “God Bless the U.S.A.” by Lee Greenwood; “Born in the USA” by Bruce 

Springsteen for the 4th of July.

 CAPCOM: Blaine Hammond

 7/5/96 “Birthday” by The Beatles for Henricks 44th birthday.

 CAPCOM: Blaine Hammond

 7/6/96 “Don’t Bring Me Down” by The Electric Light Orchestra

 CAPCOM: Blaine Hammond

 7/7/96 “Time For Me to Fly” by REO Speedwagon.
32

STS-79 September 16-26, 1996

 9/16/96 “Duke of Earl” by Gene Chandler.

 “Song was up linked in honor of Carl Walz’s 20th anniversary. The song is one he 

performed for his wife, Pam, before they were married while he was a member of an Ohio 

band called “The Blue Moons”. This is the second time Walz has spent his anniversary in 

orbit.”

 CAPCOM: Kay Hire

 9/17/96 “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass.

 “Capcom Kay Hire called the wakeup music “a message from Shannon,” referring to U.S. 

astronaut Dr. Shannon Lucid who has spent approximately six months aboard Mir.”

 CAPCOM: Kay Hire

 9/18/96 "Hold On (I'm Coming)" performed by Sam and Dave referring to the return of Shannon 

Lucid.

 9/19/96 “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Jerry Lee Lewis referring to the ARIS 

experiment. ARIS = Active Rack Isolation System, a set of 

sensors and actuators which dampen out vibrations for ultra-sensitive 

microgravity experiments. PC

 9/20/96 “Cheeseburger in Paradise” by Jimmy Buffett referring to Shannon Lucid’s thoughts of her 

diet after returning to Earth.

 9/21/96 “Another Saturday Night” By Max Q. Carl Walz is a member.

 9/22/96 “Got Me Under Pressure” by ZZ Top referring to the raising of cabin pressure to 15.5 psi to 

transfer oxygen and nitrogen to Mir.

 9/23/96 "Please Don't Leave Me" by Fats Domino. Some music for undocking day

 9/24/96 “Only Wanna Be With You” by Hootie and the Blowfish referring to the impending return of 

Lucid to her family.

 9/25/96 “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins. Played in honor of the two Navy 

crewmen on board, Bill Readdy and Terrence Wilcutt. Wilcutt's a Marine, 

not Navy. (The Navy trains the Marine pilots so it's still a valid connection.)

PC
33

STS-80 November 19-December 7, 1996

 11/20/96 “I Can See For Miles” by The Who

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 11/21/96 “Theme From Fireball XL5”

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 11/22/96 “Roll With the Changes” by REO Speedwagon; Some Phil Collins/Genesis

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 11/23/96 “Reelin’ and Rockin’” by Chuck Berry

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 11/24/96 “Roll With It” by Steve Winwood

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 11/25/96 “Good Times Roll” by The Cars

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 11/26/96 “Red Rubber Ball” by Cyrkle

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 11/27/96 “Alice’s Restaurant” by Arlo Guthrie

 CAPCOM: Dom Gorie

 11/28/96 “Some Guys Have All the Luck” by Robert Palmer

 CAPCOM: Dom Gorie

 11/29/96 “Changes” by David Bowie

 CAPCOM: Dom Gorie

 11/30/96 “Break On Through” by The Doors

 CAPCOM: Dom Gorie

 12/1/96 “Shooting Star” by Bad Company

 CAPCOM: Dom Gorie

 12/2/96 “Stay” by Jackson Browne

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 12/3/96 “Return to Sender” by Elvis Presley

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 12/4/96 “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 12/5/96 “Nobody Does It Better” by Carly Simon

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 12/6/96 “Please Come Home For Christmas” by Sawyer Brown

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

STS-81 January 12-22, 1997 

 1/13/97 “Free Ride” by The Edgar Winter Group

 CAPCOM: Kay Hire

 1/14/97 “It Keeps You Runnin’ ” by The Doobie Brothers

 CAPCOM: Kay Hire

 1/15/97 “Hitchin’ a Ride” by Vanity Fare

 CAPCOM: Kay Hire

 1/16/97 “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang

 CAPCOM: Kay Hire

 1/17/97 “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown

 CAPCOM: Kay Hire

 1/18/97 “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin

 1/19/97 “Ticket to Ride” by The Beatles (1:27 GMT)

 1/19/97 “So Long, Farewell” from “The Sound of Music” (23:27 GMT)

 1/21/97 “My Favorite Marcia” by The Allison Brown Quartet

 1/22/97 "Day-O,The Banana Boat Song" - Harry Belafonte

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-81/wakeup.html
34

STS-82 February 11-21, 1997 

 2/12/97 “Magic Carpet Ride” by Steppenwolf

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 2/13/97 “These Are Days” by 10,000 Maniacs

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 2/14/97 “Two Princes” by Spin Doctors

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 2/15/97 “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 2/16/97 “The Packerena” For Mark Lee

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 2/17/97 “Shiny Happy People” by R.E.M.

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 2/18/97 “Dreams” by The Cranberries

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 2/19/97 “That Thing You Do!” Theme from the motion picture

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 2/20/97 “Five Hundred Miles Away From Home” by Reba McEntire

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 2/21/97 “Sloop John B.” by The Beach Boys (down linked by crew)

 “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf

CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

STS-83 April 4-8, 1997

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls were sent.

STS-84 May 15-24, 1997

This particular mission set a record for the number of different countries where people were born, 

Precourt, Collins, and Lu in the United States, Kondakova in Russia, Clervoy in France 

(representing ESA), and Foale in England and Noreiga in Peru. Of course, Foale and Noriega are 

both naturalized U.S. citizens and didn't represent their birth countries. Hence the large number 

of national anthems. PC

 

 5/16/97 “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines” by The American Military Band.

"Good morning, and thanks for the magnificent music from the magnificent crew at Houston," 

Atlantis pilot Eileen Collins said after Houston mission control congratulated the crew again 

for the near flawless start to their 10-day trip.

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 5/17/97 “Hold On, I’m Coming” by Sam and Dave

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 5/18/97 “British National Anthem – God Save the Queen ”

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 5/19/97 “French National Anthem - La Marseillaise”

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 5/20/97 “Peruvian National Anthem”

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 5/21/97 “Russian National Anthem”

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 5/22/97 “Triste et Bleu (Sad and Blue)” - Michel Jonasz

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 5/23/97 “Anchors Aweigh/ The Air Force Song (“Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder”) USAF 

Theme/Marine Hymn” by The West Point Cadet Glee Club

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 5/24/97 “U.S. National Anthem”

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur
35

STS-94 July 1-17, 1997 

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock. Therefore, no wakeup calls 

 were sent.

STS-85 August 7-19, 1997

 8/8/97 “To the Moon and Back” by Savage Garden

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 8/9/97 “Don’t Look Down” by Lindsay Buckingham

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 8/10/97 “My Home’s In Alabama” by Alabama

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 8/11/97 “Chances Are” by Johnny Mathis

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 8/12/97 “The House is Rockin’” by Stevie Ray Vaughn

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 8/13/97 “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 8/14/97 “You Will Go to the Moon” by Moxy Fruvous

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 8/15/97 “Stay” by Jackson Browne

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 8/16/97 “Mighty Iron Arm Atom” or “Atom Boy” Theme song to Japanese cartoon.

There was no Japanese crewmember on this mission, but one of the 

experiments was a Japanese robot arm, a prototype for the ISS's Japanese 

Experiment Module, hence this very appropriate music. PC

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 8/17/97 “You’re Not From Texas” by Lyle Lovett

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 8/18/97 “So Far Away” by Dire Straits

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 8/19/97 “Running On Empty” by Jackson Browne

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-85/wakeup.html
36

STS-86 September 25-October 6, 1997

 9/26/97 “Roll on Down the Highway” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 9/27/97 “Dancing in the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 9/28/97 “Takin’ Care of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 9/29/97 “What I Like About You” by The Romantics

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 9/30/97 “Grand Ol' Flag” as played on the piano by Wetherbee's daughter Jenny 

Wetherbee

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 10/1/97 “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 10/2/97 “Impression That I Get” by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 10/3/97 “Fanfare For the Common Man” by The Orlando Pops

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 10/4/97 “Let It Ride” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 10/5/97 “Shake, Rattle and Roll” by Huey Lewis and the News

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 10/6/97 “Homeward Bound” by Simon and Garfunkel
37

STS-87 November 19-December 5, 1997

 11/20/97 “Hitchin’ a Ride” by Vanity Fare

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 11/21/97 “Theme from New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 11/22/97 “Ginga Shounen Tai” (Galaxy Boys) Theme from a Japanese science fiction puppet show

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 11/23/97 The Air Force Song (“Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder”) by Air Force Academy Cadet 

Chorus

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 11/24/97 “Walk of Life” by Dire Straits

 CAPCOM: Ellen Ochoa

 11/25/97 “Mishra Piloo” by Ravi Shankar

 CAPCOM: Ellen Ochoa

 11/26/97 “Ukrainian National Anthem”

 CAPCOM: Ellen Ochoa

 11/27/97 “America the Beautiful” by the U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chorale

 CAPCOM: Ellen Ochoa

 11/28/97 “Florida State University Seminoles Fight Song”

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 11/29/97 “California Dreamin’ ” by The Mamas and the Papas

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 11/30/97 “This Island Earth” by The Nylons

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 12/1/97 “Ultraman” Theme from Japanese TV science fiction cartoon show

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 12/2/97 “Centerfield” by John Fogerty

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 12/3/97 “Flight of the Bumble Bee” Rimsky-Korsakov

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 12/4/97 “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-87/wakeup.html
38

STS-89 January 22-31, 1998

 1/23/98 “It’s Not Unusual” by Tom Jones

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 1/24/98 “Calypso” by John Denver

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 1/25/98 “Friends, We Are Migrant Birds” An old Russian pilots’ song

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 1/26/98 “Singer From Down Under” by Slim Dusty chosen by NASA to

 honor Australia Day and astronaut Andy Thomas, a naturalized U.S. citizen 

born in Adelaide, Australia.

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 1/27/98 “Clap For the Wolfman” by Burton Cummings in honor of astronaut David Wolf who joined 

the crew after 120 days aboard Mir.

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 1/28/98 “Hide Away” by Stanley Clarke. For Mike Anderson PC

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 1/29/98 “Here We Go Loopty-Loo” (“Lupe de Lue”) by Little Richard and The Disney Kids

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 1/30/98 “Bad To the Bone” by George Thorogood and the Destroyers

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 1/31/98 “Breakfast Blues” by Trout Fishing in America

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau
39

STS-90 April 17-May 3, 1998 

 4/18/98 “Think” by Aretha Franklin

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 4/19/98 “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” sung by Harry Carey

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 4/20/98 “Doctor My Eyes” by Jackson Browne

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 4/21/98 “Bad To the Bone” by George Thorogood and the Destroyers

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 4/22/98 “Bad Case of Loving You” by Robert Palmer

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 4/23/98 “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 4/23/98 “This Land Is Your Land” by Rod Taylor

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 4/24/98 “She Drives Me Crazy” by The Fine Young Cannibals

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 4/25/98 “Every Breath You Take” by The Police

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 4/26/98 “Fight On, State” Fight Song for Penn State University

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 4/27/98 “Turn, Turn, Turn” by The Byrds

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 4/28/98 “Take a Chance on Me” by Abba

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 4/29/98 “Round and Round” by Ratt

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 4/30/98 “Cruise Control” by Bruce Hornsby

 CAPCOM: Bill McArthur

 5/1/98 “If I Only Had a Brain” from “The Wizard of Oz”

 CAPCOM: Bob Curbeam

 5/2/98 “Stir It Up” by Bob Marley and the Wailers

 CAPCOM: Bob Curbeam

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-90/wakeup.html
40

STS-91 June 2-12, 1998

 6/3/98 “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” by Huey Lewis and the News in honor of the flawless liftoff

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 6/4/98 “Come Go With Me” by the Del Vikings in honor of Andrew Thomas’ return from Mir

 CAPCOM: Marc Garneau

 6/5/98 “South Australia” by The Sundowners

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 6/6/98 “You Really Got Me” by The Kinks

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 6/7/98 “Travelin’ Band” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 6/8/98 “Manic Monday” by The Bangles in honor of an historic Monday for the U.S. and Russian 

space programs ending the three year Shuttle/Mir program

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 6/9/98 “How Bizarre” by O.M.C

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 6/10/98 “Superman” - TV Theme Song played in honor of Franklin Chang-Diaz’s record-breaking 

time in orbit aboard a Space Shuttle, a total of more than 51 days spent in orbit during six 

shuttle flights.

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 6/11/98 “Interplanet Janet” Song from the “Schoolhouse Rock” educational videotape series played in 

honor of Janet Kavandi

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 6/12/98 “Homeward Bound” by Simon and Garfunkel

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-91/wakeup.html
41

STS-95 October 29-November 7, 1998

 10/30/98 “What a Wonderful World” Louis Armstrong. Played for Mission Specialist 

Scott Parazynski from his wife, Gail.

 CAPCOM: Mike Gernhardt

 10/31/98 “Cachito” Nat King Cole. This song about parenthood was directed to 

Pedro Duque and his wife, Consuelo, who recently has a baby.

 CAPCOM: Mike Gernhardt

 11/1/98 “This Pretty Planet” Tom Chapin requested by pilot Steve Lindsay’s wife 

Diane And/or “Hallelujahs” by Chris Rice.

 CAPCOM: Mike Gernhardt

 11/2/98 “Moon River” Andy Williams. Annie Glenn requested it as a tribute to the 

friendship between Williams and her husband. "I was sleeping very, very 

soundly this morning when the wake up call came in,” Glenn said.

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 11/3/98 “The House is Rockin’” Stevie Ray Vaughn. In honor of Mission Specialist 

Steve Robinson known as “Stevie Ray Robinson” by other members of his 

astronaut band, “Max Q”. "That's what I call wake-up music. Good day to 

go get a satellite," he told Mission Control.

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 11/4/98 “Wakaki Chi,” (“Young Spirit”) a cheering song from Keio University 

where Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai received her medical degree.

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 11/5/98 “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” The Moody Blues. Chosen by 

Commander Curt Brown’s family.

 CAPCOM: Scott Horowitz

 11/6/98 “Voyage Into Space”, an original composition written for John Glenn by 

composer and pianist Peter Nero, a long-time friend of the Glenns.

 CAPCOM: Scott Horowitz

 11/7/98 “La Cucaracha”. Played for Pedro Duque at request of his wife, Consuelo.

 CAPCOM: Scott Horowitz

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-95/html/ndexpage.html
42

STS-88 December 4-15, 1998

 12/4/98 "Get Ready" by the Temptations, an appropriate description of the full slate of activities the 

crew will be involved with as they get ready for the important events of the flight by checking 

out the equipment and tools that will be utilized during rendezvous, docking and space 

walking activities.

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 12/5/98 “Anchors Aweigh”

 CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield

 12/6/98 “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” - Judy Garland. Requested by Bob Cabana’s daughter, Judy

 CAPCOM: Bob Curbeam

 12/7/98 “Jerry the Rigger," an old Celtic song. In honor of Mission Specialist Jerry Ross, who with 

fellow Mission Specialist Jim Newman, will conduct more than 18 hours of space walks 

during this flight.

 CAPCOM: Bob Curbeam

 12/8/98 “Streets of Bakersfield” - Dwight Yoakum. Requested by the wife of Pilot Rick Sturckow, a 

California native.

 CAPCOM: Janet Kavandi

 12/9/98 “Floating in the Bathtub” selected for Mission Specialist Jim Newman by his wife, Mary Lee. 

 CAPCOM: Jim Newman

 12/10/98 “God Bless the USA”- Lee Greenwood. Played for Mission Specialist -2, Nancy Currie at the 

request of her husband, David.

 CAPCOM: Bob Curbeam

 12/11/98 “Trepak” a Russian dance from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” in honor of cosmonaut and 

Mission Specialist Sergei Krikalev.

 CAPCOM: Bob Curbeam

 12/12/98 “Hound Dog” - Elvis Presley

 CAPCOM: Bob Curbeam

 12/13/98 “Goodnight Sweetheart, Goodnight” - The Spaniels. As the crew prepare to say "goodnight" 

to the space station.

 CAPCOM: Bob Curbeam

 12/14/98 “I Got You (I Feel Good)” - James Brown. In honor of the good feelings evoked by this 

successful first International Space Station Assembly mission. “We really feel terrific,” 

Nancy Currie said in replying to ground controllers in Houston, who broadcast the song into 

space. "We're ready to start packing and come home to see our families just in time for 

Christmas."

 CAPCOM: Bob Curbeam

 12/15/98 “Ride of the Valkyries” - Richard Wagner

 CAPCOM: Bob Curbeam

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-88/html/ndexpage.html
43

STS-96 May 27-June 6, 1999

 5/27/99 “California Dreamin‘” – Mamas and the Papas -- played for Mission 

Specialist Tammy Jernigan 

 5/28/99 “Danger Zone” – Kenny Loggins played in honor of Commander Kent 

Rominger, an alumnus of the Naval Fighter Weapons School of “Top Gun” 

fame. 

 5/29/99 Themes from “Star Wars” by the Space Center Intermediate Band. Mission Specialist Dan 

Barry’s daughter Jenny plays flute in that band.

 5/30/99 “Morning Colors” – U.S. Coast Guard Band or “Morning Call” by USMC Band.

 5/31/99 “Amarillo by Morning” by George Strait. Played in honor of Pilot Rick Husband, who is from 

Amarillo, Texas.

 6/1/99 “Exultate Jubilate” by Mozart. This is a favorite of Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie 

Payette.

 6/2/99 “Vasha Blagarodye”, a Russian song, followed by “The Charleston”. Played for cosmonaut 

Valery Tokarev and Mission Specialist Ellen Ochoa.

 6/3/99 “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd in anticipation of the Discovery’s departure from the ISS.

 6/4/99 “Good Morning Starshine” in recognition of the deployment of the Starshine satellite.

 6/5/99 “The Longest Day” – Theme from the movie to commemorate what spacecraft communicator 

in Mission Control Mario Runco called a “landing of a different kind” referring to D-Day on 

June 6, 1944.

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-96/html/ndexpage.html

STS-93 July 22-July 27, 1999

 7/23/99 “Beep Beep” – Louis Prima; music for Eileen Collins provided by her family.

 7/24/99 “Brave New Girls” – Teresa

 7/25/99 “Someday Soon” written by Judy Collins and performed by Suzy Boguss chosen in honor of 

Pilot Jeff Ashby

 7/26/99 “The Sounds of Silence” – Simon and Garfunkel

 7/27/99 “A Little Traveling Music” – Barry Manilow requested by Hawley’s wife Eileen, and The Air

Force Song (“Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder”) played for Collins and Coleman.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-93/html/ndexpage.html

STS-103 December 19 - 27, 1999

 12/20/99 Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Taking Care of Business"

 12/21/99 "Rendezvous" by Bruce Springsteen

 12/22/99 "Hucklebuck" performed by Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers, a tune that the 

spacewalkers heard many times while training hundreds of hours for the mission in the 6.5-

million gallon water tank at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

 12/23/99 Traditional Swiss music was played for Nicollier and the song "Only When I Sleep" by The 

Corrs was played for Foale.

 12/24/99 Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride" was played for Smith and the children's song 

"Skinnamarink" by Kimbo for Grunsfeld.

 12/25/99 Bing Crosby's "I'll Be Home for Christmas."

 12/26/99 "We're So Good Together" by Reba McEntyre, played for Pilot Scott Kelly at the request of 

his wife.

 12/27/99 "The Cup of Life," sung by Ricky Martin. The music was the official song of France '98 

World Cup Soccer and was played for Mission Specialist #2, Jean-Francois Clervoy of the 

European Space Agency at the request of his son.

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-103/html/ndexpage.html
44

STS-99 February 11 - 22, 2000

 The crew worked two shifts around the clock but Mission Control sent wakeup calls anyway.

 2/11/2000 "Time for Me to Fly" - REO Speedwagon (Blue Team wakeup call)

 2/12/2000 "Some Guys Have All The Luck" - Robert Palmer (Red Team wakeup call)

 2/12/2000 "Eye in the Sky" - Alan Parsons Project (Blue Team wakeup call)

 2/13/2000 "Jumpin' Jive" - Cab Calloway as performed by Joe Jackson (Red Team wakeup call)

 2/13/2000 "Linus and Lucy" by Vince Guaraldi (Blue Team wakeup call)

 2/14/2000 "Journey to the Stars" theme song to the popular Japanese anime Galaxy Express - performed 

by Godiego (Blue Team wakeup call)

 2/14/2000 "Radar Love" - performed by Golden Earring (Red Team wakeup call)

 2/15/2000 "New York, New York" - performed by Frank Sinatra (Red Team wakeup call)

 2/15/2000 "Canon in D" by Johann Pachebel - as performed by George Winston (Blue Team wakeup 

call)

 2/16/2000 "We Saw the Sea" - performed by The Naval Academy Glee Club (Blue Team wakeup call)

 2/16/2000 "Smack Dab in the Middle" - performed by Ray Charles (Red Team wakeup call)

 2/17/2000 “Die Moldau” - performed by The Boston Symphony Orchestra (Red Team wakeup call)

 2/17/2000 "Take a Little Less" - performed by Barton and Sweeney (Blue Team wakeup call)

 2/18/2000 "Magic Carpet Ride" - performed by Steppenwolf (Red Team wakeup call)

 2/18/2000 "Rawhide" - performed by Frankie Laine (Blue Team wakeup call)

 2/19/2000 "One after 909" - performed by The Beatles (Blue Team wakeup call)

 2/19/2000 "Catch the Moments As They Fly By" - Traditional Celtic Music – Shannon River Dance 

(Red Team wakeup call)

 2/20/2000 "Walk Don't Run" - California Guitar Trio (Red Team wakeup call)

 2/21/2000 “Stay” Frankie Valli & Four Seasons (Blue Team wakeup call)

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-99/html/ndexpage.html

STS-101 May 19 - 29, 2000

 5/19/2000 "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty, played for Mission Specialist Susan Helms 

 5/20/2000 "Shining Brightly" by Bob Seger in honor of the upcoming evening 

rendezvous with the International Space Station.

 5/21/2000 “Lookin’ Out the Window” by Stevie Ray Vaughan

 5/22/2000 "Haunted House" by Roy Buchanan since the opening lyrics say "I just 

moved into a new house today...." in honor of the STS-101 crew entering 

what will be a new home for astronauts and cosmonauts later this year.

 5/23/2000 "I Only Have Eyes for You" by Flamingos -- a long distance dedication 

from Kathy Halsell to her husband, Mission Commander Jim Halsell

 5/24/2000 "I'm Gonna Fly" by Amy Grant which was requested by Pilot Scott 

Horowitz's wife

 5/25/2000 "Don't It Make You Wanna Dance" by Jerry Jeff Walker -- was played at 

the request of Williams' son and family.

 5/26/2000 Untitled Russian song, author unknown

 5/27/2000 "25 or 6 to 4" - Chicago

 5/28/2000 "El Capitan" - John Philip Sousa

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-101/html/ndexpage.html
45

STS-106 September 8 - 20, 2000

 9/8/2000 "I'll Be" - Edwin McCain

 9/9/2000 "I Say a Little Prayer" by Diana King, which was played for Wilcutt

 9/10/2000 “All Star” by the band Smash Mouth. The song was played for the two space walkers at the 

request of the EVA training and flight control teams to celebrate what will be the sixth space 

walk in support of station assembly and the 50th space walk in Space Shuttle history.

 9/11/2000 "The Hukilau Song"by Big Kahuna and the Copa Cat Pack, was played for Lu at the request 

of his sister.

 9/12/2000 "Brown-Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison - was played for Mastracchio at the request of his wife.

 9/13/2000 "Kombaht" by the group called Loobeh, played for Mission Specialist Boris Morukov of the 

Russian Aviation and Space Agency. 

 9/14/2000 "Haze Has Melted Away" - Konstantin Nikolsky's Group

 9/15/2000 "University of Connecticut Fight Song" - University of 

Connecticut Band

 9/16/2000 U.S. Coast Guard Hymn “Semper Paratus” (Always Ready), played for Burbank, a Lieutenant 

Commander in the Coast Guard.

 9/17/2000 “YMCA” was played for Scott Altman at the request of his wife.

 9/18/2000 “Home in the Islands” by The Brothers Cazimero, played for Lu who considers Honolulu a 

hometown.

 9/19/2000 "Houston" performed by Dean Martin (played by crew as well as ground).

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-106/html/ndexpage.html

STS-92 October 11-24, 2000

 10/12/2000 "Incense and Peppermints" – Strawberry Alarm Clock. The tune is part of the "Austin Powers: 

International Man of Mystery" movie soundtrack and was played for the crew members, who 

are fans of the film. 

 10/13/2000 "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" – Cyndi Lauper

 10/14/2000 "Eikan wa kimi mi Kagayku" or "You're the Winner" or literally "The Glory is Coming to 

you", a Japanese High School Baseball Association Inspirational Marching Song performed 

by Daisuke Kaga.

 10/15/2000 "Camelot" from the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"

 10/16/2000 "Je t'aimais, Je t'aime, J'taimerai" - A French love song by Francis Cabrel.

 10/17/2000 "The Army Goes Rolling Along", performed by the United States Military Academy Band 

and its field musical group The Hellcats.

 10/18/2000 The theme from the movie "Mission Impossible."

 10/19/2000 "Anchors Away – Fanfare Version" as performed by the United States Naval Academy Band.

 10/20/2000 "The River" - Garth Brooks

 10/21/2000 "Saturday Night" - Bay City Rollers

 10/22/2000 The Air Force Song (“Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder”).

 10/23/2000 "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" by Jim Croce

 10/24/2000 "Deja Vu" by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-92/html/ndexpage.html
46

STS-97 November 30-December 11, 2000

 12/1/2000 “Stardust” by Willie Nelson, played for Canadian Space Agency astronaut Garneau

 12/2/2000 "I Believe I Can Fly," by R. Kelly

 12/3/2000 "Sunshine of Your Love" - Cream

 12/4/2000 “Lovin’ You Lots & Lots” from the movie “That Thing You Do” by Norm Wooster Singers 

sent up to Bloomfield from his wife

 12/5/2000 "Fight On" (Trojan Fight Song) - University of Southern California fight song for Noriega by 

USC Marching Band

 12/6/2000 “O Mio Babbino Caro” - Puccini opera aria for Garneau

 12/7/2000 “Here Comes the Sun” – The Beatles. For Joe Tanner

 12/8/2000 “Rattled” – The Traveling Wilburys

 12/9/2000 “Back in the Saddle Again” – Gene Autry. In honor of Bloomfield, who is making his second 

space flight and his second fly-around of a space station.

 12/10/2000 “Beyond the Sea” - Bobby Darin. A reference to the traditions observed on the station by 

Navy Commander Jett and Navy Captain Shepherd, including the ringing of the station’s 

ship’s bell when the shuttle crew departed Saturday.

 12/11/2000 “I'll be Home for Christmas” – Bing Crosby

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-97/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-98 February 7-20, 2001

 2/8/2001 "Where You At", a jazz selection by Pilot Mark Polansky's late uncle, Zoot Sims

 2/9/2001 "Who Let the Dogs Out" - Baha Men, played in honor of Commander Ken Cockrell, who 

previously flew on a Shuttle mission with astronauts dubbed the "Dog Crew"

 2/10/2001 "Girl's Breakdown" - Alison Brown. Alison wrote the tune especially for mission

 specialist Marsha Ivins. Mission Control played the tune in honor of Ivins who had the 

critical task on Saturday of attaching the space lab Destiny to the International Space Station.

 2/11/2001 "Blue Danube Waltz" - Johann Strauss, Jr. from the film “2001 – a Space Odyssey”

 2/12/2001 "Fly Me to the Moon" - Frank Sinatra

 2/13/2001 "For Those About to Rock" - AC/DC

 2/14/2001 "To the Moon and Back" – Savage Garden

 2/15/2001 "Sally Ann" - New Grange

 2/16/2001 "The Trail We Blaze" - Elton John

 2/17/2001 "Blue" - Eiffel 65

 2/18/2001 "Fly Away" - Lenny Kravitz

 2/19/2001 "Bad To the Bone" - George Thorogood and the Destroyers

 2/20/2001 “Should I Stay or Should I Go" by the Clash, as the crew prepared for their return trip to Earth

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-98/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-102 March 8-21, 2001

 3/8/2001 "Living the Life" performed by Rockit Scientists a group of training division instructors with 

whom shuttle Commander Jim Wetherbee plays drums from time to time.

 3/9/2001 "Vashe Blagorodiye" a song from a movie entitled “White Sun of the Desert” that is 

traditionally watched by cosmonauts the night before a launch from the Baikonur 

Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The song was played for Expedition Two Commander Yury 

Usachev, who is spending his last day aboard Discovery before beginning a handover of 

station command with Expedition One crewmember Yuri Gidzenko.

 3/10/2001 "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship and played in anticipation of the planned 

Extravehicular Activity (EVA).

 3/11/2001 "Blast Off" from the animated feature Scooby Doo and the Alien Invaders, played for 

astronaut Paul Richards as a selection from his children.

 3/12/2001 "From A Distance" performed by Nanci Griffith awakened Discovery’s crew, and astronauts 

Paul Richards and Andy Thomas quickly began preparing for a planned six and a half hour 

space walk.

 3/13/2001 "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty -- a favorite of astronaut Susan Helms who today will take up 

official residence on the station as a member of the outpost’s second crew.
47

 3/14/2001 "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash played for returning International Space Station 

Expedition One Commander Bill Shepherd from his wife, Beth.

 3/15/2001 "She Blinded Me With Science" by Thomas Dolby played in recognition of the laboratory 

outfitting and initial station scientific work enabled by Discovery’s flight.

 3/16/2001 "The Rising of the Moon" by The Clancy Brothers with Tommy Makem selected for 

Discovery’s Pilot Jim Kelly by his family in honor of St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow.

 3/17/2001 "Notre Dame Victory March" by “Flight Room Singers” Four Flight Controllers - Chris 

McKenna, Mark Ferring, Pete Hasbrook and Fisher Reynolds

 3/18/2001 "Moscow Windows" – Folk song

 3/19/2001 "Just What I Needed," performed by The Cars and played for returning International Space 

Station Commander Bill Shepherd, who, along with crew mates Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei 

Krikalev, is riding home aboard Discovery after four and a half months in orbit.

 3/20/2001 "Wipe Out" – Surfaris

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-102/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-100 April 19-May 1, 2001 

 4/20/2001 “Then the Morning Comes” by the musical group Smash Mouth. It was chosen for Phillips, 

making his first spaceflight.

 4/21/2001 “Danger Zone” - Kenny Loggins from the soundtrack to Top Gun.

 4/22/2001 “Take It From Day to Day” by Canadian Stan Rogers -- played for Hadfield in honor of the 

space walk – the first ever by a Canadian.

 4/23/2001 "Both Sides Now" - Judy Collins

 4/24/2001 “What A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. The song was played for Parazynski in 

honor of today’s spacewalk.

 4/25/2001 “Con te Partiro” (“With You I Will Go”), sung by Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli. It was 

played for Guidoni who is from Italy.

 4/26/2001 Russian folk song, "Behind the Fog." That song was played for Endeavour crewmember 

Russian cosmonaut Yuri Lonchakov.

 4/27/2001 "Buckaroo," sung by Don Cain of Dubuque, Iowa, father of STS-100 Ascent and Entry Flight 

Director Leroy Cain.

 4/28/2001 "Dangerous," sung by C'est Cheese, played for Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield at the 

request of his wife.

 4/29/2001 "Miles from Nowhere," performed by Cat Stevens and played for Ashby in anticipation of 

today's undocking.

 4/30/2001 Soundtrack to the movie “Gladiator” (5:41 GMT)

 4/30/2001 "Big Arm on His Ship" - Robinson, etc.

 5/1/2001 "True" performed by Spandau Ballet. The wakeup music was for Rominger, requested by his 

family.

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-100/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-104 July 12 – July 24, 2001 

 7/12/2001 "Wallace Courts Murron" - from the soundtrack to the movie “Braveheart.” The song, by 

James Horner, was played for Atlantis Pilot Charlie Hobaugh.

 7/13/2001 "God of Wonders" by Caedmon's Call

 7/14/2001 "Space Cowboy" by N'Sync for Mission Specialist Janet Kavandi.

 7/15/2001 "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley for Mission Specialist Mike Gernhardt.

 7/16/2001 "Nobody Does it Better" by Carly Simon, from the soundtrack to the movie "The Spy Who 

Loved Me" for Mission Specialist Jim Reilly.

 7/17/2001 "Happy Birthday, Darlin’" by Conway Twitty for Atlantis Mission Specialist Janet Kavandi 

who was celebrating a birthday.

 7/18/2001 "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow for the entire crew from their training team. 

 7/19/2001 "A Time to Dance" by Janet Giroux played by the Space Center Intermediate School 

Symphonic Band. The band was directed by Giroux and the song was played for Reilly.

 7/20/2001 "I Could Write a Book" by Harry Connick Jr., from the soundtrack to the movie "When Harry 

Met Sally" for Lindsey.
48

 7/21/2001 "Who Let the Dogs Out?" by the Baha Men for Hobaugh.

 7/22/2001 "Orinoco Flow" by Enya for Mike Gernhardt.

 7/23/2001 "Honey, I'm Home" by Shania Twain for Kavandi. 

 7/24/2001 “Hold Back the Rain” by Duran Duran

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-104/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-105 August 10 – 22, 2001 

 8/11/2001 "Back in the Saddle Again" by Gene Autry. It was played for Culbertson, making his third 

flight into space, eight years after he last flew.

 8/12/2001 "The White Eagle," a traditional Russian folk song played for Expedition Three Pilot 

Vladimir Dezhurov.

 8/13/2001 Overture from "The Barber of Seville" by Rossini, a tribute to Expedition Three Flight 

Engineer Mikhail Tyurin.

 8/14/2001 Theme from the movie, "Arthur" or "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" by 

Christopher Cross.

 8/15/2001 "Big Boy Toys", a country and western tune by Aaron Tippin, selected for Pilot Rick 

Sturckow by his wife. 

 8/16/2001 "The Marvelous Toy" by Tom Paxton for Mission Specialist Dan Barry from his wife.

 8/17/2001 "Time Bomb", a song performed for Forrester by his sons, Patrick and Andrew.

 8/18/2001 "Hotel California," performed by the Eagles. It was requested for Expedition Two 

Commander Yury Usachev by his wife.

 8/19/2001 "Under the Boardwalk" by the Drifters, played for Jim Voss by his wife Suzan.

 8/20/2001 "Brand New Day," played by Sting. The song was for Helms, requested by her family and 

friends.

 8/21/2001 “East Bound and Down” by Jerry Reed, at the request of their Houston-based training team.

 8/22/2001 "Again" by Lenny Kravitz

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-105/html/ndxpage1.html
49

STS-108 December 5 - 17, 2001

 12/6/2001 “Soul Spirit” and “Put a Little Love in Your Life,” sung by Bursch’s daughter and her secondgrade classmates.

 12/7/2001 "God of Wonders" performed by 95:1, a worship band from St. Thomas Episcopal Church. 

Commander Dom Gorie's daughter Kim sings.

 12/8/2001 "Wade Into the Water" performed by Clear Creek Mighty Wildcat Marching Band. Mission 

Specialist Carl Walz's son Aaron plays percussion.

 12/9/2001 "It's A Grand Ol' Flag" performed by the Fire Department of New York Emerald Society 

Pipes & Drums. A New York firefighter presented Pilot Mark Kelly with today’s wakeup 

music when Kelly visited the World Trade Center site with former NASA Administrator Dan 

Goldin shortly after the September 11 attacks.

 12/10/2001 “Jumpin’ at the Woodside,” performed by Mission Specialist Linda Godwin’s own band, 

Brass, Rhythm and Reeds composed mostly of NASA and NASA contractor personnel. 

Godwin plays tenor sax in this 18-piece big band recording. 

 12/11/2001 “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” performed by Vince and Jenny Gill from the Vince Gill 

album "Let There be Peace on Earth" awakened Endeavour’s crew this morning at 6:19 a.m. 

CST. The song was played for Expedition Three Commander Frank Culbertson from his wife 

for his years of dedicated pursuit of peace on Earth through service to his country, and in 

tribute to a special anniversary today.

 12/12/2001 “Fly Me to the Moon”, sung by Oliver “Ollie” O’Regin for Dan Tani.

 12/13/2001 “Here Comes the Sun”, in memory of former Beatle George Harrison, who recently died of 

cancer. The instrumental was from the IMAX movie, “Everest”. The song was played for the 

Expedition Three Crewmembers, Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov 

and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin.

 12/14/2001 Traditional Russian song, “My Sweetheart,” played for Onufrienko, Dezhurov and Tyurin.The 

Expedition Four crew was awakened about a half-hour later with a wakeup tone on board the 

station.

 12/15/2001 “Where I Come From,” by Alan Jackson, for Pilot Mark Kelly from his family. 

 12/16/2001 “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” sung by Bing Crosby. 

 12/17/2001 “Please Come Home For Christmas” sung by Jon Bon Jovi.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-108/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-109 March 1-12, 2002

 3/1/2002 “Blue Telescope” - John Hiatt

 3/2/2002 “Theme from Mission: Impossible”

 3/3/2002 Mozart's “Five Variations on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” performed by Jeno Jando

 3/4/2002 The children's song “Floating in the Bathtub,” by Tonya Evetts Weimer. It was played for 

Jim Newman.

 3/5/2002 “Carmen Ohio,” performed by the Ohio State University marching band and played for Ohio 

State alumni Nancy Currie and Rick Linnehan aboard Columbia.

 3/6/2002 The original song “Sittin on Top of the World,” Les Paul and Mary Ford. Dedication 

following was recorded the week before for the STS-109 crew by Les Paul, a music pioneer 

and space enthusiast.

 3/7/2002 The Mission Impossible: II theme song, performed by Limp Bizkit.

 3/8/2002 “Who Made Who” by AC DC. The song was played for pilot Duane Carey.

 3/9/2002 “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra. The song was played for Commander Scott "Scooter" 

Altman.

 3/10/2002 "Floating" by the Moody Blues dedicated to first-time fliers, pilot "Digger" and spacewalker 

Massimino.

 3/11/2002 “Countdown” -- Rush

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-109/html/ndxpage1.html
50

STS-110 April 8-22, 2002 

4/9/2002 “The Best Years of Our Lives” by the Baha Men.

4/10/2002 “Rapunzel Got a Mohawk,” performed by Joe Scruggs. The song was played for Ochoa, at the 

request of her family.

4/11/2002 University of California-Berkeley fight song performed by the school band 

and “All Right Now,” performed by the Stanford University band. Ochoa 

requested the songs be played for crewmates Walheim and Smith who 

attended the rival schools. Ochoa's also a Stanford graduate. PC

4/12/2002 “Testify to Love,” by Wynonna Judd played for Bloomfield from his family.

4/13/2002 “Voodoo Chile,” by Jimi Hendrix. It was played for Morin, who will be making his first 

spacewalk, at the request of his wife.

4/14/2002 “All Star,” performed by Smash Mouth from the Shrek movie soundtrack. The song was 

played for Walheim by his family.

4/15/2002 “Magic Carpet Ride” by Steppenwolf, dedicated to Smith.

4/16/2002 “I Am an American,” performed by the Purdue University Marching band. It was dedicated to 

Purdue graduate Ross.

4/17/2002 “Noah,” performed by Steve Frick when he was a teen-ager.

4/18/2002 "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" - STS-110 Commander Mike Bloomfield's daughter, 

Courtney.

4/19/2002 "Message in a Bottle," by The Police.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-110/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-111 June 5 -19, 2002

 6/6/2002 “Gettin' Jiggy Wit It,” by Will Smith. The song was played for Valery Korzun, who will soon 

take command of the space station.

 6/7/2002 “American Woman,” by Lenny Kravitz, a song selected for Peggy Whitson.

 6/8/2002 “I Have a Dream,” by ABBA, a song selected for Sergei Treschev.

 6/9/2002 “Drops of Jupiter” by Train, a tune selected for Ken Cockrell.

 6/10/2002 “I Only Have Eyes for You” by the Flamingos, from the American Graffiti

soundtrack which was selected for Paul Lockhart. Selected by his wife 

Mary. The two danced to the song at their wedding. PC

 6/11/2002 “Mi PC” by Juan Luis Guerra, selected for Chang-Díaz by his family.

 6/12/2002 “Chasing Sheep is Best Left to Shepherds,” by Peter Greenaway, selected for Philippe Perrin 

by his family.

 6/13/2002 “On the Road Again,” by Willie Nelson, selected for Carl Walz by his family.

 6/14/2002 "The Star Spangled Banner" in honor of Flag Day.

 6/15/2002 “Hello to All the Children of the World” prepared by Expedition Four Flight Engineer Dan 

Bursch's son and his classmates.

 6/16/2002 "Where My Heart Will Take Me," the theme song from TV series, “Star Trek: Enterprise,”

 performed by Russell Watson. (see STS-114, Flight Day 8/2/2005)

 6/17/2002 "The Eyes of Texas," performed by the University of Texas Marching Band. Cockrell and 

Lockhart hold degrees from that university.

 6/18/2002 "Sojourner" by Matt Gast, the flight's lead timeliner or scheduler of crew activities.

 6/19/2002 "I Got You Babe"by Sonny and Cher from the "Groundhog Day" movie soundtrack.

"Groundhog Day's "I Got You Babe" is a recurring theme for wakeup calls 

on missions which have been extended an additional two days, with the 

astronauts having to repeat their deorbit activities each day only to be told 

that because of bad weather they're going to go through the same tasks 

again the next day. For commander Ken Cockrell this was his third mission 

in a row where he's stayed in orbit for an additional two days in the hopes 

of good weather in Florida. On STS-80 the landing finally cooperated and 

he landed in Florida, for STS-98 and STS-111 he landed at the alternate 

site in California. PC

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-111/html/ndxpage1.html
51

STS-112 October 7-18, 2002

 10/8/2002 "Venus and Mars" by Paul McCartney and Wings. It was for David Wolf, requested by his 

wife, Tammy.

 10/9/2002 "The Best" by Tina Turner for Commander Jeff Ashby from his wife, Paige.

 10/10/2002 The "medley of childhood songs" including "(Theme from) The Monkees" - The 

Monkees,"Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be a Long, Long Time)" - Elton John, "Space 

Oddity" - David Bowie and "I Am Woman" - Helen Reddy was played for Sandra Magnus 

from her family.

 10/11/2002 "Oh Thou Tupelo," performed by the Wellesley College Choir, was for Pamela Melroy, a 

1983 graduate.

 10/12/2002 "Push It," performed by the group Garbage. It was for Piers Sellers, requested by his family.

 10/13/2002 The "Aviation March," composed by Isaac Dunaevsky, is the hymn of the Moscow Aviation 

Institute, Yurchikhin's alma mater.

10/14/2002 "You Gave Me The Answer," by Paul McCartney and Wings for Dave Wolf from his wife 

Tammy.

 10/15/2002 "Only an Ocean Away," performed by Sarah Brightman. It was requested for Sandy Magnus 

by her jogging friends.

 10/16/2002 "Prime Time"by The Alan Parsons Project was played for Pilot Pam Melroy, requested by her 

husband, Chris.

 10/17/2002 "These are the Days" performed by 10,000 Maniacs was played for Sellers at the request of 

his wife.

 10/18/2002 “Someday Soon,” performed by Suzy Bogguss. It was for Ashby, requested by his wife.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-112/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-113 November 23 – December 7, 2002

 11/24/2002 The Wind Ensemble -- Music for Wetherbee, provided by his daughter

 11/25/2002 "I Need You Like a Hole in My Head" by Sting

 11/26/2002 "Gimme All Your Lovin'" by ZZ Top

 11/27/2002 "Copperhead Road" by Steve Earle

 11/28/2002 "Figaro's Wedding" from the movie "Trading Places"

 11/29/2002 "Quiet Flame" by Leap Year

11/30/2002 "Walkin' on Sunshine" by Kylie Minogue Selected by Paul 

Lockhart's daughters. Capcom Joan Higgenbotham radioed up the music 

and said "Good morning Endeavour. Welcome to EVA (Spacewalk) 3 day. 

We're looking forward to some more incredible views provided courtesy of 

our two spacewalkers. Paco (Lockhart's nickname), this morning's wakeup 

music is ‘Walking on Sunshine’ which is what Mary and the girls will be 

doing once your safely back home.” 

 "Good morning Miss Joanie and to everyone down there in mission control. 

It's great to hear your voice this morning," Lockhart replied. "Walking on 

sunshine? I think that's what John (Herrington) and Mike (Lopez-Alegria) 

are going to be doing for several hours today... I'd like to say thank you to 

my wife and my daughters for thinking about me the last few days and I'm 

looking forward to seeing them too." PC

 12/1/2002 "Roll With It" by Steve Winwood

 12/2/2002 “Cheesty Proody” (phonetic spelling), which means “Clear Ponds” in Russian, by Igor Talkov

 12/3/2002 "Flot" (phonetic spelling), which means "Raft" in Russian, by Yuri Loza

 12/4/2002 "Aserejé," also known as "The Ketchup Song (Hey Hah)," by Las Ketchup

 12/5/2002 "Hotel California" by The Eagles

 12/6/2002 Clips from the movie "Groundhog Day" (“I Got You Babe”) and the television game show"

“Jeopardy"

The "Groundhog Day" was a reference to the multiple landing 

attempts. At this point STS-113 tied the previous record of two 

additional extensions waiting for good weather. With the additional 

day beyond that, they set a new record for the number of landing 

tries. The Jeopardy theme music was a running gag between Mike 
52

Lopez-Alegria and the Capcoms where he would pose various questions 

about the mission's status as quizzes. At one point the Capcom 

answered one of L-A's queries, and he replied "But you forgot to 

phrase it in the form of a question."

The evening before when MCC said goodnight a Capcom cautioned "the 

wakeup music may sound familiar." Wetherbee replied "How will we 

know?" 

(a reference to the repeating cycle in the movie "Groundhog Day". PC

 12/7/2002 "I'll Be Home for Christmas" by Perry Como

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-113/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-107 January 16—February 1, 2003

The crew worked two shifts around the clock but Mission Control sent wakeup calls anyway.

 1/16/2003 Blue Team - "EMA EMA" Dedicated to Dave Brown. PC

 Red Team - "America, the Beautiful" by the Texas Elementary Honors Choir, with Rick 

Husband's daughter, Laura

1/17/2003 Blue Team - "Coming Back to Life" by Pink Floyd. Dedicated to Willie 

McCool. PC

 Red Team - "Space Truckin'" by Deep Purple. Dedicated to Kalpana Chawla. PC

1/18/2003 Blue Team - "Cultural Exchange" Dedicated to Dave Brown. PC

 Red Team - "Hatishma Koli" by Hachalonot Hgvohim. Dedicated to Ilan Ramon. PC

1/19/2003 Blue Team - "Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead. Dedicated to Willie

McCool. PC

 Red Team - "Amazing Grace" by Black Watch and 51 Band of Highland Brigade.

 Dedicated to Laurel Clark - The same song on bagpipes was played at her 

wedding, for the wakeup in space, and at her funeral. PC

1/20/2003 Blue Team - “Texan 60” Dedicated to Dave Brown. PC

 Red Team - “God of Wonders” by Steve Green. Dedicated to Rick Husband. PC

1/21/2003 Blue Team - “The Wedding Song” by Paul Stookey for Pilot Willie McCool

 Red Team - "Prabhati" by Ravi Shankar. Dedicated to Kalpana Chawla. PC

1/22/2003 Blue Team - "Hakuna Matata" by The Baha Men for Anderson from his 

two kids. 

From the movie "Lion King" PC

 Red Team - "Ma ata osheh kesheata kam baboker?" by Arik Einstein. 

 Dedicated to Ilan Ramon. PC

 1/23/2003 Blue Team - "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads in honor of combustion 

experiments on this flight

 Red Team - "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas. 

 The crew had a stuffed hamster toy which played that song. It was their 

'mascot' and they took it everywhere during their training. PC

1/24/2003 Blue Team - "Hotel California" performed by Pilot William McCool's 

family (Josie McCool, Shawn McCool)

The family members were Sean McCool on the guitar, his former girlfriend 

(but still friend) Josee Julian, and Josee's father Frank also on guitar. 

(Reference - an email to me from Lani McCool) PC

 Red Team - "The Prayer" by Celine Dion. Dedicated to Rick Husband. PC

1/25/2003 Blue Team - "I Say a Little Prayer" by Dionne Warwick played for Anderson from his wife

 Red Team - "Drops of Jupiter" by Train. Dedicated to Kalpana Chawla. PC

1/26/2003 Blue Team - "When Day is Done" by Django Reinhardt and Stephane 

Grappelli. Dedicated to Dave Brown. Capcom Charlie Hobaugh said, 

"We're doing great down here, and I feel cultured." Dave replied, "It's 

about time." PC

 Red Team - "Love of My Life" by Queen. Dedicated to Ilan Ramon. 

A videotape of the wakeup activities survived the accident. PC. "A special 

good morning to my wife, Rona, the love of my life," Ramon said. In 
53

Hebrew, he added that he loved and missed his wife and children. "So, here 

we come, for a wonderful day in space."

1/27/2003 Blue Team - "Slow Boat to Rio" by Earl Klugh. Dedicated to Mike Anderson. PC

 Red Team - "Running to the Light" by Runrig. Dedicated to Laurel Clark PC

1/28/2003 Blue Team - "I Get Around" by The Beach Boys. Dedicated to Dave Brown. PC

 Red Team - "Up on the Roof" by James Taylor. Dedicated to Rick Husband. PC 

 1/29/2003 Blue Team - "Imagine" by John Lennon. McCool and Ramon said their 

observations from orbit reveal no borders on the Earth below and reiterated 

in both English and Hebrew their hopes for peace in the world. Dedicated to 

Willie McCool. PC.

 “Imagine” was played at Ilan Ramon’s funeral as his funeral dirge. The 

mourners listened to the recording sent to the astronauts, which ended with 

Ilan's voice translating Lennon's words into Hebrew: "You may say I'm a 

dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

Red Team - "Yaar ko hamne ja ba ja dekha" by Abita Parveen.

Dedicated to Kalpana Chawla. A videotape of the crew activities during 

this wakeup call survived the accident. PC

1/30/2003 Blue Team - "Silver Inches" by Enya. Dedicated to Dave Brown. PC

 Red Team - "Shalom lach eretz nehederet" by Yehoram Gaon.

 Dedicated to Ilan Ramon - The tune is the same as Arlo Guthrie's 

 "City of New Orleans." Ilan said, "Good morning, Stephanie, it was 

 wonderful to hear your voice in Hebrew. It was perfect timing while 

 we flew over Israel to hear this song, which says I've been to the 

 North Pole and to everywhere but there's no place better than Israel." PC

1/31/2003 Blue Team - "If You've Been Delivered" by Kirk Franklin. Dedicated to Mike Anderson. PC

 Red Team - "Scotland the Brave" by The Black Watch and the band of the 51st Highland 

Brigade. Dedicated to Laurel Clark PC

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-107/html/ndxpage1.html

 

STS-114 July 26 – August 9, 2005 

 7/26/2005 Excerpts from the movie "Groundhog Day" (including the repeating “I Got You Babe” by 

Sonny and Cher) which was for the entire crew to commemorate its first day out of 

quarantine.

 7/27/2005 "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. The Station crew was awakened at the same 

time by a tone onboard.

 7/28/2005 "Vertigo" by U2 played for Pilot Jim Kelly. Capcom Shannon Lucid noted during the wakeup 

call that Kelly, whose nickname is “Vegas,” was promoted to Colonel in the U.S. Air Force 

recently. The Station crew was awakened at 11:09 p.m. CDT by a tone onboard.

 7/29/2005 "Sanpo," performed by the chorus from the Japanese School of Houston. It is made up of a 

group of children, including Noguchi's. The Station crew was awakened at 11:09 p.m. CDT 

by a tone onboard.

 7/30/2005 "I'm Goin' Up" by Claire Lynch for Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence. The Space Station 

crew was awakened about the same time by a tone onboard.

 7/31/2005 "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits for Steve Robinson. The Space Station crew was awakened at 

10:39 p.m. CDT by a tone onboard. CAPsule COMmunicator (CAPCOM) Shannon Lucid 

radioed the crew with Dire Straits' "Walk of Life," in honor of the duo's upcoming repair 

work on the International Space Station. "What a great day to go do a walk of life," said 

Robinson, who happens to play guitar in the astronaut rock band, Max-Q. "I like that line in 

there: 'You got the action, and you got the motion.'" From Music to Wake Up By 8/10/05 

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/features/wakeup_calls.html

 8/1/2005 "Big Rock Candy Mountain" by Harry McClintock for Mission Specialist Andy Thomas.

 8/2/2005 "Where My Heart Will Take Me," the theme song from “Star Trek: Enterprise.” This song, , 

was selected for the crew as a surprise dedication from the Deputy Shuttle Program Manager 

Wayne Hale. (This selection was identified as composed by Dennis McCarthy in STS-114 

MCC Status Report #16. Though McCarthy did write the orchestral suites for the “Star Trek” 

TV series he did not write this. It was written by Diane Warren originally as “Faith of the 
54

Heart” for the soundtrack of the film, “Patch Adams” and sung by Rod Stewart. Then, 

virtually the identical song was renamed and used as the theme for “Enterprise” -- this time 

sung by British tenor, Russell Watson - CAF)

 8/3/2005 "Amarillo by Morning" by George Strait. Expedition 11 crew of Commander Sergei Krikalev 

and Flight Engineer and NASA ISS Science Officer John Phillips, woke up 30 minutes later.

"Amarillo By Morning" was dedicated not to the crew in space, but to the 

Columbia STS-107 crew commanded by Amarillo Native Rick Husband. 

The day included a dedication to the Columbia crew and other space 

explorers who died during their missions. When the wakeup was sent it was 

Husband's son, Matthew's birthday. PC

 8/4/2005 "Anchors Aweigh" dedicated to Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence at the request of 

Commander Eileen Collins. Space Station Expedition 11 crewmates John Phillips and Sergei 

Krikalev woke 30 minutes later.

 8/5/2005 "The Air Force Song" dedicated to Pilot Jim Kelly, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, at the 

request of Commander Eileen Collins. Space Station Expedition 11 crewmates John Phillips 

and Sergei Krikalev woke 30 minutes later.

 8/6/2005 "The One and Only Flower in the World" sung by the Japanese group SMAP. It was played 

for Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

 8/7/2005 "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners. It was played for Discovery's Commander 

Eileen Collins from the Mission Control Team.

 8/8/2005 "Good Day Sunshine" by The Beatles.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-114/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-121 July 4 –17, 2006

"Well, you know, sometimes we know ahead of time what the music is going to be and who it's for, and other times 

it's a complete surprise. You're just woken up by it and you've got to scramble out of your sleeping bag to try to 

make some profound statement about it," [Mark] Kelly said. "And you know, other times, that just doesn't happen."

The Flame Trench Space Blog http://www.floridatoday.com/floridatoday/blogs/spaceteam/ Posted by Todd 

Halvorson 7/11/2006

A Spot On NASA's Playlist Gets A Song Heard Around The World 

(USAT) 

By Traci Watson 

USA Today, July 13, 2006 

Early Saturday morning, Discovery's crew cabin was flooded with I Have A Dream, a 

syrupy ballad from the Swedish pop megastars of the '70s and '80s. The song was the latest in an 

enduring NASA tradition: the personalized wake-up call. 

In a ritual dating to the Gemini program of the mid-1960s, astronauts awake not to alarms 

but to music chosen by family or friends. I Have A Dream was picked by the 8- and 11-year-old 

daughters of astronaut and unlikely ABBA fan Mark Kelly, a former Navy test pilot. 

The songs may seem frivolous, but the astronauts welcome them as moments of good 

cheer during their hectic assignments, says astronaut Mario Runco, who's not part of the 

Discovery crew. As construction of the International Space Station ramps up and the workload on 

shuttle flights gets heavier, wake-up songs will serve as a morale booster, says Runco, whose 

collection has supplied many of the recordings piped up to space. 

"When you hear something that's special and directed at you ... you realize you have the 

support on the ground," he says. 

Crewmembers' friends and family say they're happy for the chance to brighten the 

astronauts' day. When Kelly wakes up Friday to U2's Beautiful Day, girlfriend Gabrielle Giffords, 

who chose it for him, hopes he'll be inspired. 

"Something that's got a nice, moving melody is better than a punk rock song," she says. 

The playlist is organized by the astronaut at Mission Control who serves as the link to the 

crew in space. Most wake-up songs fall into one of four categories: 
55

•College and military. Well over half of the astronauts serve or have served in the 

military. 

•Chirpy and upbeat. James Brown's I Got You (I Feel Good) is a perennial favorite. 

•Earnest. Some spouses choose love songs. Others choose Christian tunes, such as God of 

Wonders, played last week for Discovery astronaut Michael Fossum. 

•Tongue-in-cheek. Sonny & Cher's I Got You Babe was featured in the movie 

Groundhog Day, about a man who wakes up to the same day over and over. It's often played for 

crews whose launch or landing is delayed repeatedly. 

Anthony DeCurtis, a contributing editor to Rolling Stone, says some kinds of music are 

nearly absent from the playlist. There is no hip-hop, for example. "These are people in an extreme 

situation," he says. "I'm not sure it's realistic to expect aesthetic daring." 

Any kind of music can have a positive effect on mood as long as it's something the 

listener likes, says Pennsylvania State University's Valerie Stratton, who has studied music and 

emotions. At the same time, a song that gives one person a boost could seriously annoy another 

person. 

"I think they need to agree on what they play," she says. 

When the crew was asked whether there had been any teasing over the ABBA song, 

Kelly backed away from the microphone. 

"I used to be an ABBA fan," crewmate Piers Sellers said pointedly. "Hey, Mark, come back!"

Astronauts Rocked Awake By Recordings (AP) 

By Seth Borenstein 

AP, July 15, 2006 

HOUSTON - These are not your father's astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery -

at least judging by the music that's been waking them up every morning. 

So far in their two-week mission, the crew's wake-up calls have included songs by 

Coldplay, Smashmouth and R. Kelly. 

What ever happened to "Anchors Aweigh"? 

For decades, it's been a tradition for NASA's mission control to start astronauts' days with 

carefully chosen wake-up calls. In the case of the current Discovery mission, those days start at 

about 1 a.m. EDT, so it helps to play something that gets the blood flowing and the foot tapping. 

(Tapping on the ceiling? It is space, after all.) 

Astronauts' tastes have come a long way from the early days, when "Hello Dolly" was the 

first wake-up call in 1965 for Gemini 6. The rest of that decade was full of military marches and 

songs, along with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Herb Alpert and classical music. 

Today's astronauts have music that they can rock to while they roll in zero gravity. 

"I was impressed," Blender magazine associate editor Josh Eells said. "I had this notion 

of astronauts being a little bit square. There's a little bit of hip taste there." 

But taste, of course, is in the ear of listener. Asked if everyone likes all the songs played 

up there, astronaut Piers Sellers just rolled his eyes and shook his head. 

Back in Houston, the DJ job goes to the capcom - "capsule communicator" - the astronaut 

on the ground who radios to the ones in space. 

Astronaut Mario Runco, the capcom for 16 flights between 1995 and 2002, likes to think 

of himself as a "senior editor" of the list of requests given to him by astronauts' families, friends 

and co-workers. 

When Runco rolled his tape - NASA mission control only recently started using a CD 

player - he had a few rules: Don't step on the music. Play a full two minutes. Try to pick a good 

fade out point. 

But no matter how hard Runco tries to do justice to the music, the shuttle isn't exactly a 

place to get good sound. 

"The speakers are fine for voice communications but their dynamic range is awful for 

music," Runco said in an e-mail. "Bose speakers they're not." 

But on one of Runco's own trips to space, sound quality wasn't a problem. 20 
56

A huge Star Trek fan, Runco was awoken by a taped personal greeting from Patrick 

Stewart - Jean-Luc Picard himself, from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" - set to the show's 

theme music. In the greeting, Stewart said to Runco: "Make it so." 

Getting a prerecorded call is one thing, but last November, International Space Station 

astronauts Bill McArthur and Valery Tokarev were treated to a live wake-up miniconcert by Paul 

McCartney - part of a performance he was giving in Anaheim, Calif. 

"I can't believe that we're actually transmitting to space," McCartney said as McArthur 

did a zero-gravity flip. 

McCartney played "English Tea" and "Good Day Sunshine," in what was the longest 

Earth-to-space wake-up call, clocking in at nearly 14 minutes. 

7/5/2005 “Lift Every Voice and Sing'” by the New Galveston Chorale played for Mission Specialist 

Stephanie Wilson. 

7/6/2006 “Daniel” by Elton John played for Mission Specialist Thomas Reiter in honor of his son. 

7/7/2006 “Good Day Sunshine” by the Beatles played for Mission Specialist Lisa Nowak.

7/8/2006 “God of Wonders” by Mark Byrd and Steve Hindalong played for Mission Specialist Mike 

Fossum. Selected by his family.

 7/9/2006 “I Had a Dream” by ABBA for Shuttle Pilot Mark Kelly. Requested by his 

daughters, Claire and Claudia. Mark had a dream as a young boy-- he 

wanted to go to space and float with the stars. So, on the sixth day of the 

mission, he was coaxed from his sleeping bag on the ceiling by the music of 

ABBA. He responded by saying: "Sometimes it is like a dream up here. 

Floating is a big part of that. The view outside the window is incredible 

right now. I'm not sure what we're over, but we can see land down there." 

7/10/2006 “Clocks” by Coldplay for Mission Specialist Piers Sellers. Requested by his family.

7/11/2006 “All Star” by Smashmouth for Mission Specialist Lisa Nowak. Requested by her family.

 7/12/2006 “I Believe I Can Fly” by R. Kelly for Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson.

7/13/2006 Theme from the television show “Charlies Angels” for the entire STS-121 crew from their 

training team.

7/14/2006 “Aggie War Hymn” by the The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band for Mission 

Specialist Mike Fossum, a graduate of Texas A&M University. According 

to Mission Control, the selection was sent by Fossum's wife. He is the first 

Texas A&M graduate in space .

 "You know Mike, there are quite a few Aggies right here in Mission 

Control, and all throughout Texas, who have been watching you intently 

during this mission," said astronaut Steve Swanson from Mission Control in 

Houston. "I think we can say the eyes of Texas are upon you."

7/15/2006 “Beautiful Day” by U2 for Pilot Mark Kelly, on undocking day.

7/16/2006 “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure for Mission Specialist Piers Sellers. It was requested by his 

family.

7/17/2006 “The Astronaut” by Something Corporate for Commander Steve Lindsey.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-121/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-115 September 9 –21, 2006

 9/10/2006 "Moon River," by Audrey Hepburn, for Brent Jett, at request of commander 

Jett's wife. "It really is a beautiful day up here," Jett said after the wake-up 

greeting. "We're awake and ready to get to work with the inspection." 

 9/11/2006 A solo cello performance for Mission Specialist Dan Burbank.

9/12/2006 "My Friendly Epistle," a Ukrainian song by Taras Shevchenko. It was 

played for Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper.

9/13/2006 “Takin' Care of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive for 

MissionSpecialist Steve MacLean.

9/14/2006 "Wipe Out" by the Surfaris for Pilot Chris Ferguson.

9/15/2006 "Hotel California" by the Eagles for Mission Specialist Joe Tanner.

9/16/2006 "Twelve Volt Man" by Jimmy Buffett for Mission Specialist Dan Burbank.

9/17/2006 "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins for Pilot Chris Ferguson.
57

9/18/2006 "Rocky Mountain High" by John Denver for Mission Specialist Joe Tanner.

9/19/2006 "Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi" (Don't Leave Without Me) by Celine Dion for Mission Specialist 

Steve MacLean.

9/20/2006 "Beautiful Day" by U2 for Mission Specialist Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper.

9/21/2006 "WWOZ" by Better Than Ezra for Commander Brent Jett.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-115/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-116 December 9 –22, 2006

12/10/2006 “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles for Mark Polansky.

12/11/2006 "Beep Beep," performed by Louis Prima for Sunita Williams.

 12/12/2006 “Waterloo,” performed by ABBA for Christer Fuglesang who is from Sweden. “Nice music 

this morning,” Fuglesang said from the Quest airlock, where he spent the night preparing for 

the spacewalk with Curbeam.

12/13/2006 “Suavemente,” performed by Elvis Crespo, played for Joan Higginbotham. 

12/14/2006 “Under Pressure,” performed by Queen for Robert Curbeam.

12/15/2006 "Low Rider," performed by War, and played for William Oefelein.

12/16/2006 Aaron Copeland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” performed by the London Philharmonic 

Orchestra. The music was played for Nicholas Patrick.

12/17/2006 “Beautiful Blue Danube" performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for Christer 

Fuglesang.

12/18/2006 “Good Vibrations,” performed by the Beach Boys for the entire crew in honor of the 

vibrations the spacewalkers may create today to attempt to free the balky solar panels.

12/19/2006 “The Zamboni Song,” performed by the Gear Daddies. The song, dedicated to the entire crew, 

was requested by the training team who sent a message to Oefelein saying they had arranged 

for him to fly the shuttle half a lap around the station.

12/20/2006 “Say You’ll be Mine,” performed by Christopher Cross for Thomas Reiter.

12/21/2006 “The Road Less Traveled,” performed by Joe Sample for Higginbotham.

12/22/2006 “Home for the Holidays,” sung by Perry Como for the crew, requested by the Mission Control

Center.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-117 June 8-22, 2007

6/9/2007 “Big Boy Toys” by Aaron Tippin, sounded on board the orbiter at 9:10 a.m. CDT, played for 

Commander Rick Sturckow.

6/10/2007 “Riding the Sky,” written and performed by Johnson Space Center employees David 

Kelldorf and Brad Loveall for Mission Specialist Clayton Anderson in honor of his move to 

the space station.

6/11/2007 “It Probably Always Will” by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, played for Mission Specialist 

Steven Swanson.

6/12/2007 “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, played for Mission Specialist Danny Olivas.

 6/13/2007 “Questions 67 and 68” by Chicago, played for Pilot Lee Archambault.

6/14/2007 “Indescribable” by Chris Tomlin for Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester.

6/15/2007 “Radar Love” by Golden Earring, played for Mission Specialist Steve Swanson.

6/16/2007 University of Texas at El Paso Fight Song, performed by the UTEP Pep Band, was played for 

Mission Specialist (and UTEP alumnus) John “Danny” Olivas at 7:38 a.m. CDT.

6/17/2007 Theme song from “Band of Brothers,” played for Mission Specialist Jim Reilly.

6/18/2007 “Redeemer” by Nicole C. Mullen, played for Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester.

6/19/2007 “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” by Chicago, played for Pilot Lee Archambault.

6/20/2007 “If I Had $1000000” by Barenaked Ladies, played for Mission Specialist Suni Williams.

6/21/2007 “Makin’ Good Time Coming Home” by John Arthur Martinez, was played for Commander 

Rick Sturckow and Mission Specialist Jim Reilly.

6/22/2007 “The Marines’ Hymn,” was played for the mission commander, Col. Rick Sturckow, USMC.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-117/html/ndxpage1.html
58

STS-118 August 8-21, 2007

8/9/2007 “Where My Heart Will Take Me,” performed by Russell Watson. It was played for Mission 

Specialist Rick Mastracchio.

8/10/2007 “Mr. Blue Sky,” performed by Electric Light Orchestra. It was played for Commander Scott 

Kelly.

8/11/2007 “Gravity,” performed by John Mayer. It was played for Pilot Charles Hobaugh.

8/12/2007 “Up!” performed by Shania Twain. It was played for Mission Specialist Dave Williams.

8/13/2007 “Outta Space” performed by Billy Preston. It was played for Mission Specialist Alvin Drew.

 8/14/2007 “Happy Birthday Tracy,” performed by children in an extended day care 

program run by Tracy Caldwell's mother, Mary Ellen Caldwell, at the 

Beaumont Cherry Valley Recreation and Park District's Noble Creek 

Community Center.in recognition of the day’s significance. "Thank you 

very much. This is one of the best places I could think of to spend my 

birthday," Tracy said after hearing the pre-recorded greeting.

8/15/2007 “Good Morning World.” It was written and performed by Mission Specialist Barbara 

Morgan’s son Adam.

 8/16/2007 “Times Like These” by the Foo Fighters. It was for Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio.

8/17/2007 “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree,” performed by KT Tunstall, for Mission Specialist Tracy 

Caldwell.

8/18/2007 “Learn to Fly,“ performed by the Foo Fighters. It was played for Mission Specialist Alvin 

Drew.

8/19/2007 “Teacher, Teacher,” performed by .38 Special. It was for Mission Specialist Barbara Morgan.

8/20/2007 “Flying,” performed by the Long John Baldry Trio, a Canadian group. It was for Williams, a 

Canadian Space Agency astronaut.

8/21/2007 “Homeward Bound,” performed by Simon & Garfunkel. It was for the entire crew.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-118/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-120 October 23-November 7, 2007

10/24/2007 “Lord of the Dance,” performed by John Langstaff, was played for Commander Pam Melroy.

10/25/2007 “Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest for astronaut Dan Tani. "It's moving day for me 

and I can't wait to settle in my new home," said Tani.

10/26/2007 “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be a Long, Long Time)” by Elton John, played for 

Mission Specialist Doug Wheelock on the day he performs the first spacewalk of his career.

10/27/2007 “Bellissime Stelle” (Beautiful Stars) by Andrea Bocelli was played for European Space 

Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli of Italy, the country where the new node, Harmony, was 

built.

10/28/2007 “What a Wonderful World,” by Louis Armstrong, was played for Mission 

Specialist Scott Parazynski on the day he makes his second spacewalk of 

the mission. "That's how you start the day in space," Parazynski said. "I 

can't think of a more beautiful way to begin the day than hear those words. 

It really describes the view from space."

10/29/2007 “One by One” by Wynton Marsalis, was played for Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson, one 

of the robot arm operators for this morning’s hand off of the P6 truss element between the 

shuttle and station robot arms.

10/30/2007 “Malaguena Salerosa” by Chingon, was played for Pilot George Zamka, who will be 

operating the shuttle robotic arm.

10/31/2007 “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu” by Domenico Modugno, for Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli. The 

song’s title translates as “In the blue (sky), painted blue;” it is widely known as “Volare.”

 11/1/2007 “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by Robert John. The song was chosen by the 

crew’s training team. "That was a lot of fun," Discovery commander 

Pamela Melroy said. "That certainly gets you going first thing in the 

morning."
59

11/2/2007 “World” by Five for Fighting for Mission Specialist Doug Wheelock, who will be performing 

his third spacewalk on Saturday. Wheelock dedicated the song to the ground support team.

11/3/2007 The crews of Space Shuttle Discovery and the station were awakened this morning at 12:38 

with composer John Williams’ theme song from the original “Star Wars“ movie trilogy. The 

song was played for Parazynski.

11/4/2007 The crews of Discovery and the International Space Station were awakened 

before the change from daylight to standard time. The crew was roused at 

1:08 a.m. CDT with the song “The Presence of the Lord,” written by gospel 

musician Kurt Carr, originally recorded by Byron Cage. Cage’s rendition 

was played for Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson. Crew member 

Stephanie Wilson says she appreciates the selection. She says being in 

space has made her "very thankful" for the support of family, friends and 

the shuttle ground control team.

11/5/2007 “Roll Me Away” by Bob Seger, played for Pilot George Zamka, who will 

be at the controls of Discovery when it undocks from the station. “That’s a 

great song about a road trip and we’ve had a great one, but it’s time to turn 

around and head for home,”astronaut George Zamka said.

11/6/2007 “Space Truckin’” by Deep Purple, played for Expedition 15/16 Flight Engineer and Mission 

Specialist Clay Anderson, who will wrap up a five-month mission to the International Space 

Station when Discovery lands.

11/7/2007 “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” by Sherman and Sherman, was played for Commander Pam 

Melroy.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-120/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-122 February 7-20, 2008ed by Peter Gabriel, was played for European Space Agency astronaut Leopold 3T.

Space Shuttle Atlantis Astronaut Chooses Quincy Jones' 1969 Recording 'Walking in 

Space' as His Wake-Up Music 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- When the Space Shuttle Atlantis launches from Cape 

Canaveral, Florida on Thursday, December 6th on its mission to deliver the European Space Agency's 

Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station, Astronaut Leland Melvin will have in tow a copy 

of Quincy Jones' 1969 Grammy Award winning recording "Walking in Space," which he will use as his 

wake-up music during the mission. 

Commented Melvin, "Quincy Jones is someone who I have a great deal of respect and admiration for and I 

couldn't think of a more appropriate selection to use as my wake-up music." 

Melvin's duties on the Shuttle Atlantis mission will be to support three space walks using the robotic arm 

and install the Columbus laboratory from Atlantis' payload bay to its permanent home on the International 

Space Station. 

Commented Jones, "I am truly honored that Mr. Melvin has chosen one of my pieces of work for this 

momentous occasion. I was inspired to record the 'Walking in Space' album in 1969 after Buzz Aldrin told 

me that he had played my arrangement of Frank Sinatra's 'Fly Me To The Moon' during his space flight to 

the moon, so to have it come full circle like this is quite remarkable and very humbling." 

A jazz-R&B-pop fusion album that helped usher in a new era in R&B music in the early 70's, "Walking in 

Space" won Jones a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance By a Large Group. Citing his 

groundbreaking work on "Walking in Space," in 1998 Time Magazine named Quincy Jones one of the most 

influential jazz musicians of the 20th Century. In January, Jones will receive the nation's highest jazz honor 

when he is recognized as a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts. 

SOURCE Quincy Jones

Copyright © 2007 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
60

Lab Secured to Space Station

By LIZ AUSTIN PETERSON, Associated Press Writer

Tue Feb 12, 10:12 AM

...The astronauts also participated in a chat with music impresario Quincy Jones and radio talk show host 

Tavis Smiley. Astronaut Leland Melvin, a pianist, carried into orbit a recording of Jones' 1969 Grammy 

Award-winning "Walking in Space."

Melvin said he believes Jones' music inspires the kind of creativity that will one day lead astronauts to 

Mars and beyond.

"It has something that reaches into your soul and it makes you think," he said. "It makes you wonder. That's 

exactly what we need to do."...

Have a listen:

http://history.nasa.gov/quincy.mp3

 2/8/2008 “The Book of Love” performed by Peter Gabriel, was played for European 

Space Agency astronaut Leopold Eyharts at 3:45 a.m. CST.

 2/9/2008 “Tishomingo Blues,” a Spencer Williams composition, is the theme song 

from Garrison Keillor’s radio variety show A Prairie Home Companion

with lyrics written especially for the show. 

2/10/2008 “Maenner” by German musician Herbert Groenemeyer for astronaut Hans 

Schlegel. “Maenner” translated is “Men.” Groenemeyer is also known for 

his portrayal of Lieutenant Werner in Wolfgang Petersen’s movie Das Boot.

Schlegel responded: "Thank you very much for this piece of music. It's a 

German song about the nature of man, it was selected by my dear wife, 

Heike. Greetings to everybody in

America, in Europe and in Germany and especially, of course, to my close 

family and my lovely wife, Heike. Thank you very much, Shannon."

 2/11/2008 “Fly Like an Eagle,” written by Steve Miller, was played for Mission 

Specialist Leland Melvin on the day he will use the station’s robotic arm to 

lift the Columbus research module from Atlantis’ payload bay.

2/12/2008 “Dream Come True” by Jim Brickman, was played for Mission Specialist 

Rex Walheim. "Doing a spacewalk certainly is a dream come true," 

Walheim radioed down to Mission Control. "But the biggest dream

come true is having a wonderful wife Margie and my two great little boys 

Alex and Jeffie."

2/13/2008 “Oysters and Pearls” by Jimmy Buffett, was played for Pilot Alan

Poindexter.

2/14/2008 “Consider Yourself at Home.” The song, which is from the musical Oliver!, 

was played for Mission Specialist Stanley Love. "That's a wonderful song, 

thanks so much for sending it," said Love, 42. He thanked his parents and 

family "and people who may be feeling there's one fewer Love on Earth this 

Valentine's Day. But I'd like to assure them that it's great to be up here, and 

I'll be home soon."

2/15/2008 Drafi Deutscher’s song “Marmor Stein und Eisen Bricht.” The song’s title 

translates as “Marble Breaks and Iron Bends.” It was played for Mission 

Specialist Hans Schlegel, a European Space Agency astronaut from 

Germany. 

 2/16/2008 “I Believe I Can Fly” performed by Yolanda Adams and Kenny G and 

played for Mission Specialist Leland Melvin.

 2/17/2008 “Hail Thee, Harvey Mudd,” the Harvey Mudd College anthem written by 

Amy Lewkowicz for Mission Specialist Stan Love. Love is a 1987 graduate 

of the Claremont, Calif., private math, science and engineering college. 

2/18/2008 “Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World,” sung by HawaiianJapanese vocalist Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, accompanied by his 
61

ukulele for crew member Dan Tani. The song was chosen for Tani by his 

wife Jane and their two young daughters, Keiko and Lilly. "I can't wait to 

get back home," Tani said after hearing the tune. "I've had such a wonderful 

time here, but it's time to get back to my family."

 2/19/2008 The Spamalot rendition of “Always Look on the Bright Side” played for 

 Commander Steve Frick. 

 2/20/2008 “Hail to the Spirit of Liberty”by John Philip Sousa, for Pilot Alan 

Poindexter. 

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-122/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-123 March 11-26, 2008

Excerpt from THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME GOES TO OUTERSPACE ON 

THE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS

D: ... Now I know that once and a while you guys get awakened by music from Earth, who picks it and what 

was your first choice?

G: That’s a good question. It’s true, we have what we call wake up music and each crew member is allotted 

one or two days, (depending on how long your mission is on the Space Shuttle) for the whole crew to be 

awakened by that persons music that day. The music is not typically picked by the Astronauts, but by the 

Astronaut’s family. Sometimes they tell you what they are picking and sometimes they don’t. For me, on my 

first flight, it was the fourth day of the mission and that was when I was going outside to do a Space walk. It 

was a big day for me and it was my first Space Walk. My wife picked the music and unbeknown to me it was 

“Saturday Night” by the Bay City Rollers. The reason she picked that is when I go snowboarding – at least 

that season prior to the flight – I had the tendency to sing that song for myself before I would go into the 

Terrain Park and jump to try and get my courage up. She figured that would be appropriate to try and get me 

psyched up and get my courage up to go outside a little S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y night.

May 15, 2010

http://rockhall.com/blog/post/4380_shuttle-atlantis/

3/11/2008 “Linus & Lucy” by Vince Guaraldi Trio. The song, which is from the 

album “Charlie Brown Christmas” was played for Mission Specialist Mike 

Foreman. "Good morning, Endeavour. And a special good morning to you, 

Mike," astronaut Al Drew radioed from the Johnson Space Center. "Well 

good morning, Houston, we appreciate that song," Foreman replied. "We 

had an exciting trip to orbit yesterday morning and we're looking forward to 

our first full day in orbit."

 3/12/2008 The wakeup call for the morning was a combination of fight scene music 

from the Japanese movie “Godzilla Versus Space Godzilla” and the Blue 

Oyster Cult song “Godzilla.” The songs were played for Japanese Space 

Agency astronaut Takao Doi. "Good morning Endeavour. Doi san, ohayo 

gozaimasu," said Alvin Drew, shuttle spacecraft communicator, to Japanese

astronaut Takao Doi from Mission Control here in Houston. "Take on today 

like a monster." "We are very happy to hear Godzilla," Doi responded. "We 
62

are ready to go and we'll have a great time today docking with the space 

station."

 3/13/2008 “Saturday Night” by Bay City Rollers, was played for the station’s newest 

crew member, Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman. "Just want to say that the 

song was an outstanding selection. Thank you very much," said Reisman, 

who flew up aboard Endeavour and replaced European Space Agency 

astronaut Leopold Eyharts as outpost Flight Engineer 2. "We're all pumped

up, and we're ready to go out the hatch, and doing it all and having a ball in 

space on Saturday night!"

 3/14/2008 “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There is a Season)” by The Byrds. The 

song was played for Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan. 

 3/15/2008 “We’re Going to be Friends” by the White Stripes. The song was played for 

Mission Specialist Robert L. Behnken. "Thanks for that, Al," Robert 

Behnken replied. "Good morning to you as well, and thanks for that great 

wakeup music, that's one of my favorite songs. It always reminds me of all 

the great friends that I've met going to different schools, or through different 

training, just like the shuttle crew I'm with right now. Thanks again, Al, and 

a great good morning to you." "You bet. Have a fine day out there."

 3/16/2008 “God of Wonders” by “Caedmon’s Call”. The song was played for 

Endeavour’s commander, Dominic Gorie.

 3/17/2008 “Sharing the World,” a song written by Pilot Gregory H. Johnson’s brother.

 3/18/2008 Ayaka Hirahara’s “Hoshi Tsumugi no Uta”, a Japanese song that translates 

to “Song of Spinning Stars”. The song was played for Mission Specialist 

Takao Doi, a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency 

 astronaut. 

 3/19/2008 “Burning Love” by Elvis Presley, played for Mission Specialist Mike 

Foreman.

 3/20/2008 “Blue Sky” by Big Head Todd and the Monsters, was played for Mission 

Specialist Rick Linnehan, who will serve as the spacewalk coordinator for 

today’s 6.5-hour-long excursion by Mission Specialists Robert L. Behnken 

and Mike Foreman. 

 3/21/2008 “Enter Sandman”performed by Metallica. The song was played for Mission 

Specialist Robert L. Behnken. 

 3/22/2008 Heartland’s I Loved Her First”. The song was played for Endeavour 

Commander Dominic Gorie.

 3/23/2008 Newsboys song, “I am Free.” The song was played for Mission Specialist 

Mike Foreman and performed by the Friendswood United Methodist 

Church Praise Team at his church. "Good morning, Endeavour and Happy 

Easter to you Mike," NASA astronaut Alvin Drew radioed up from Mission 

Control. "Good morning, Houston and thanks Alvin, that's one of my 

favorite songs from church," Foreman said. "That was awesome, and how 

appropriate for this special day. It sounds just as good up here as it does 

down there. Happy Easter." Drew wished the rest of Endeavour's astronauts 

a Happy Easter as well, though they were busy at the time. "They're 

probably searching for their eggs," Foreman said.

 3/24/2008 “Furusato,” a Japanese folksong that translates to “home” in 

 English. The song was performed by Yuko Doi, and played for Japan 

 Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takao Doi. 

 3/25/2008 “Con Te Partiro” an Italian song that translates to “I will go with you.”

The song was performed by Andrea Bocelli and played for French 

astronaut Leopold Eyharts. "I'd like to see everybody back on Earth," 

Eyharts told flight controllers. "Thanks a lot for the music and see you very 

soon."

 3/26/2008 “Drops of Jupiter" by Train was played for Pilot Gregory H. Johnson.

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-123/html/ndxpage1.html
63

STS-124 June 1-14 , 2008

As Ariz. Congresswoman Watches, Husband Heads Into Orbit (AZREP)

By John Faherty

Arizona Republic, June 1, 2008

...This will be [Space Shuttle Discovery Commander Mark] Kelly's third flight into space. On his 

second mission, in July 2006, when he piloted the space shuttle Discovery, Kelly and [Gabrielle] Giffords 

[U.S. representative from Arizona's 8th Congressional District] were dating but not yet engaged. During 

shuttle flights, the close friends and family of astronauts are allowed to choose the music that will wake the 

pilots from sleep in space.

In 2006, Giffords chose Beautiful Day. "I'm a big U2 fan, and he likes the band as well," Giffords 

said. That morning the music was a surprise, but marriages seemingly change everything.

For this flight, Giffords has selected songs to wake the crew on two days. “Crystal Frontier” by the 

Tucson-based band Calexico and the reveille, the bugle call used to wake students at the U.S.

Merchant Marine Academy, where Kelly went to college.

He already knows what will be playing this time. "After you are married, it's hard to keep a 

secret," Giffords said with a laugh. "He didn't know about U2, but he knows this." ...

 6/1/2008 “Your Wildest Dreams” by the Moody Blues. The song was played for 

Pilot Ken Ham.

 6/2/2008 “Away from Home”performed by Jose Molina Serrano. The song was 

played for Mission Specialist Greg Chamitoff.

 6/3/2008 “Hold Me with the Robot Arm” performed by Yusuke Hanawa. The song 

was played for Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Aki 

Hoshide.

 6/4/2008 “Have You Ever” performed by Brandi Carlile. The song was played for 

Mission Specialist Karen Nyberg. 

 6/5/2008 “Fly Away” by Lenny Kravitz was played for Mission Specialist Ron 

Garan.

 6/6/2008 “Bright as Yellow” by Innocence Mission was played for Mission 

Specialist Karen Nyberg.

 6/7/2008 “Taking Off" by Godaigo was played for Mission Specialist Akihiko 

Hoshide.

 6/8/2008 The theme music from “The Mickey Mouse Club” was played for the STS124 crew.

 6/9/2008 “The Spirit of Aggieland” performed by the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band 

was played for Mission Specialist Mike Fossum.

 6/10/2008 “All Because of You" by U2 was played for Mission Specialist Ron Garan.

 6/11/2008 “Centerfield” by John Fogerty was played for Pilot Ken Ham.

Mission Control here roused the astronauts early Wednesday with the song 

"Centerfield" by John Fogerty, a tune selected for Ham by his wife 

Michelle. "Girl, you are my home, and all of us are going to start our 

journey home today," Ham told his wife via Mission Control as the shuttle 

and space station zipped around the planet at 17,500 mph (28,163 kph). 

"From my rough calculations, that's about a million miles, but we're going 

really fast so we're on our way."

 6/12/2008 “Crystal Frontier” by Calexico was played for Commander Mark Kelly.

 6/13/2008 “Baby, Won't You Please Come Home” performed by Louis Prima and 

Keely Smith, selected by Mr. Reisman’s wife, was played for Mission 

Specialist Garrett Reisman. Mr. Reisman thanked the people on the ground 

for the song, and said “A special good morning to Simone, my favorite

earthling.” He added, “Get ready, doll face: Discovery’s coming home.”

 6/14/2008 “Life on an Ocean Wave” performed by the U.S. Merchant Marine 

Academy Band was played for Commander Mark Kelly and the entire crew.

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-124/html/ndxpage1.html
64

STS-126 November 14-30, 2008

11/15/2008 “Shelter” by Xavier Rudd. It was played for Commander Christopher 

Ferguson. 

11/16/2008 “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones. It was played for Mission Specialist 

Sandra Magnus. “I want to thank my family for that music and I’m looking 

forward to moving into my new home today,” Magnus radioed down to 

Mission Control in Houston.

11/17/2008 “London Calling” performed by The Clash. It was played for Mission 

Specialist Steven Bowen. 

11/18/2008 “City of Blinding Lights” by U2. It was played for Mission Specialist Shane 

Kimbrough. 

11/19/2008 “Fanfare for the Common Man”by Aaron Copeland. It was played for Pilot 

Eric Boe.

11/20/2008 “Summertime” played for Mission Specialist Donald Pettit. It was recorded 

by Bandella. Members of that group include singer Michi Pettit, Don 

Pettit’s wife, and astronauts Steve Robinson, Chris Hadfield and Cady 

Coleman. 

11/21/2008 The music was for Mission Specialist Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper. The 

song was in the Ukrainian language, which she learned as a child. It was 

“Unharness Your Horses, Boys,” a traditional song about Cossacks 

performed by The Ukrainians. 

11/22/2008 “You Are Here” by the group Dutton. It was played for Kimbrough. 

11/23/2008 “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” performed by Frankie Valli. It was for 

Ferguson. It was his 23rd wedding anniversary. 

11/24/2008 “Can’t Stop Loving You” by Van Halen was played for Mission Specialist 

Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper.

11/25/2008 “Fever” by Bandella was played for Mission Specialist Donald Pettit and 

sung by his wife.

11/26/2008 “North Sea Oil” by Jethro Tull was played for Mission Specialist Steve 

Bowen.

11/27/2008 “Hold on Tight” by Electric Light Orchestra was played for Mission 

Specialist Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper.

11/28/2008 “In the Meantime” by Spacehog was played for Pilot Eric Boe.

11/29/2008 “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” was played for Mission Specialist Greg 

Chamitoff.

 11/30/2008 “Gonna Fly Now (Theme From ‘Rocky’)” by Bill Conti. It was for 

Ferguson. 

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-126/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-119 March 15-28, 2009

3/16/2009 “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, played for Pilot Tony Antonelli.

 3/17/2009 “Radio Exercise,” performed by the Tokyo Broadcast Children’s Choir. The song 

traditionally accompanies exercise for Japanese schoolchildren, and was played for astronaut 

Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

 3/18/2009 “I Walk the Line” by Johnny Cash, was played for Steve Swanson.

 3/19/2009 “Que Bandera Bonita” by Jose Gonzalez, played for Mission Specialist Joseph Acaba.

 3/20/2009 “Box of Rain” by the Grateful Dead, was played for Mission Specialist John Phillips.

 3/21/2009 “In a Little While” performed by the group Pilgrim and Trout for Mission Specialist Richard 

Arnold.

 3/22/2009 “Alive Again” by Chicago, played for Chicago-area native Commander Lee Archambault.

 3/23/2009 “Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens” by Louis Jordan. It was played for Swanson.

 3/24/2009 “Andrew’s Song” by Treestump, a band in which John Phillips’ daughter plays.

 3/25/2009 “Dirty Water” by the Standells, played for Pilot Tony Antonelli.
65

 3/26/2009 “Enter Sandman” by Metallica, played for Mission Specialist Joseph Acaba.

 3/27/2009 "Bright Side of the Road" by Van Morrison, was played for Mission Specialist Richard 

Arnold.

 3/28/2009 “I Have a Dream” by ABBA. The song was played for Sandy Magnus.

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-119/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-125 May 11-24, 2009 

 5/12/2009 “Kryptonite” performed by 3 Doors Down. It was played for pilot Greg Johnson.

 5/13/2009 “Upside Down” by Jack Johnson at 4:01 a.m. CDT. The song was played for Megan 

McArthur.

 5/14/2009 “Stickshifts and Safetybelts” performed by Cake. It was played for Drew Feustel.

 5/15/2009 “God of Wonders.” It was played for Mike Good.

 5/16/2009 “Hotel Cepollina” performed by Fuzzbox Piranha. The song was played for John Grunsfeld.

 5/17/2009 “New York State of Mind” performed by Billy Joel. The song was played for Mission 

Specialist Mike Massimino.

 5/18/2009 “Sound of Your Voice” performed by Barenaked Ladies. It was played for Commander Scott 

Altman.

 5/19/2009 “Lie in Our Graves” performed by the Dave Matthews Band. It was played 

for Mission Specialist Megan McArthur.

 5/20/2009 Theme from the television series “Star Trek,” which was composed by 

Alexander Courage. The song was played for the entire crew.

 5/21/2009 “Cantina Band,” one of composer John Williams’ songs from the 

soundtrack to “Star Wars.” The song was played for the entire crew.

 5/22/2009 “The Galaxy Song” from “Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life.” It was 

played for the entire crew.

 5/23/2009 “Where My Heart Will Take Me” performed by Russell Watson. It was 

played for the entire crew.

 5/24/2009 “The Ride of the Valkyries,” composed by Richard Wagner. It was played 

for the entire crew.

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-125/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-127 July 15-31, 2009

 7/16/2009 “These Are Days” by the band 10,000 Maniacs emanated from speakers inside Endeavour’s 

crew cabin, a wake-up call targeted especially for Mission Specialist Tim Kopra. 

 7/17/2009 “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles, was chosen for Commander Mark Polansky.

 7/18/2009 “Home,” by Marc Broussard, played for lead spacewalker Dave Wolf, who heard the call 

while camped out in the Quest airlock with Tim Kopra, the newest addition to the Expedition

20 crew.

 7/19/2009 “Learning to Fly,” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, for former Navy SEAL Chris 

Cassidy, who is making his first space flight aboard the space shuttle Endeavour .

 7/20/2009 The theme from the 1960s television series “Thunderbirds,” by composer Barry Gray, for 

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette.

 7/21/2009 “Life Is a Highway,” performed by Rascal Flatts. The tune was played for Tom Marshburn, 

who completed his first spacewalk Monday.

 7/22/2009 “Santa Monica,” performed by Everclear, for Endeavour’s pilot, Doug Hurley.

 7/23/2009 “Tiny Dancer,” performed by Elton John. The song was selected for Polansky.

 7/24/2009 Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” offered up for lead spacewalker Dave Wolf.

 7/25/2009 “In Your Eyes,” by Peter Gabriel was selected for Tom Marshburn, who completed his 

second spacewalk on Friday with Chris Cassidy.

 7/26/2009 George Frederic Handel’s “Dixit Dominus.” The excerpt was uplinked for Canadian Space 

Agency astronaut Julie Payette.

 7/27/2009 “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” performed by Steve Tyrell. The song was uplinked 

especially for Commander Mark Polansky.
66

 7/28/2009 “Proud to Be an American” performed by Lee Greenwood. The song was selected for 

spacewalker Chris Cassidy, a former Navy SEAL.

 7/29/2009 “Yellow” by the band Coldplay, uplinked for Pilot Doug Hurley in honor of his International 

Space Station fly-around.

 7/30/2009 “I Got You Babe,” performed by Sonny and Cher. The song was a special request for Koichi 

Wakata, the first Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut to serve as a long-duration 

resident of the station.

 7/31/2009 “Beautiful Day” by the band U2 was played for Mission Specialist Tom Marshburn.

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-127/html/ndxpage1.html

STS-128 August 28-September 11, 2009

 8/29/2009 “Back in the Saddle Again” by Gene Autry was played for Commander Rick Sturckow.

 8/30/2009 “Made to Love” by Toby Mac was played for Mission Specialist Nicole Stott.

 8/31/2009 “Mi Tierra” by Gloria Estefan was played for Mission Specialist Jose Hernandez.

 9/1/2009 “Indiana, Our Indiana” performed by the Indiana University Band was played for Pilot 

Kevin Ford, born in Indiana and on his first spaceflight.

 9/2/2009 “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong was played for Mission Specialist Christer 

Fuglesang.

 9/3/2009 “There is a God” by 33 Miles was played for Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester.

 9/4/2009 “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong was played for Mission Specialist Danny

Olivas.

 9/5/2009 “El Hijo del Pueblo” by Alfredo Jimenez was played for Mission Specialist Jose Hernandez.

 9/6/2009 “Rocket” by Andrew Peterson was played for Mission Specialist Pat Forrester.

 9/7/2009 “Only One” by Jeremy Kay was played for Mission Specialist Danny Olivas.

 9/8/2009 “Beautiful Day” by U2 was played for Mission Specialist Tim Kopra, the Shuttle’s newest 

crew member.

 9/9/2009 “Sailing” performed by Rod Stewart was played for Mission Specialist Christer Fuglesang.

 9/10/2009 “Good Day Sunshine” by the Beatles was played for Pilot Kevin Ford.

 9/11/2009 “Big Boy Toys” by Aaron Tippin was played for Commander Rick Sturckow.

 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-128/html/ndxpage1.html
67

STS-129 November 16-27, 2009

 11/17/2009 “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe was played for Mission Specialist 

Barry Wilmore, a tune selected by his wife Deanna to mark his first career 

spaceflight. 

"What a very pleasant song to wake up to, thank you for playing that," Wilmore radioed 

Mission Control. "Thanks to my wife for selecting it."

 11/18/2009 “Higher Ground” by Stevie Wonder was played for Mission Specialist Robert L. Satcher Jr.

 11/19/2009 “In Wonder” by The Newsboys was played for Mission Specialist Randy

Bresnik, a tune chosen for Bresnik by his wife. 

"Thanks to my wonderful wife Rebecca for that song and the wonder of 

creation that's going on inside of her and what's going to happen tomorrow," 

Bresnik radioed Mission Control. 

 11/20/2009 “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge was played for Mission Specialist Leland Melvin.

 11/21/2009 “Voyage to Atlantis” by The Isley Brothers was played for Mission Specialist Robert

Satcher.

 11/22/2009 “Butterfly Kisses” by Bob Carlisle was played for Mission Specialist

Randy Bresnik. Responding to the wake-up call from Houston, he delivered 

the news that his wife Rebecca had given birth, saying "good morning, 

Houston. Good morning, Rebecca, good morning, Wyatt, and good morning 

to our little girl." 

"I just wanted to take this opportunity to report some good news," he said

later in the morning. "At 11:04 last night, Abigail Bresnik joined the NASA 

family and momma and baby are doing very well. I'm very thankful for 

everyone ... that's been so supportive and so helpful the last couple of days 

with everything that's been going on." 

The shuttle crew's wakeup music, chosen by Bresnik's wife, was a song titled "Butterfly 

Kisses," which starts off with the lyrics: "There's two things I know for sure: She was sent 

here from heaven and she's daddy's little girl."

 11/23/2009 “Space Rise” by Larry Whitehair was played for Mission Specialist Mike Foreman.

 11/24/2009 “Marine Corps Hymn” performed by the U.S. Marine Corps Band was played for STS-129 

Commander Charlie Hobaugh.

 11/25/2009 “Amazing Grace” from the 1995 movie “Braveheart,” performed by Eric Rigler on 

bagpipes, was played for STS-129 Pilot Barry Wilmore.

 11/26/2009 “Fly Me to the Moon” performed by Frank Sinatra was played for Mission Specialist Nicole 

Stott.

 11/27/2009 “Home Sweet Home” performed by Motley Crue was played for the entire crew.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-129/html/ndxpage1.html

 
68

STS-130 February 8-21, 2010

Brandon Heath Wins Emmy And Has Space Shuttle Encounter (Beliefnet.) 

By Joanne Brokaw 

Beliefnet.com (blog), February 11, 2010 

Brandon Heath recently won a Midsouth Regional Emmy Award for his blockbuster hit "Give Me 

Your Eyes," which served as the catalyst for Nashville Rescue Mission's Hunger to Hope 2009 

PSA Campaign, produced by NewsChannel 5's Jerry L. Walker, WTVF-TV (CBS). 

Adding to the excitement, the song was chosen by NASA as the 5:14pm CT wake-up call for the 

Endeavour shuttle crew, on their first day in orbit, in honor of first-time flyer Pilot Terry Virts, who 

is a fan of Heath's music. Virts invited Heath to join his family as a special guest at the launch 

yesterday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (The video above is what the 

astronauts heard.) 

Cool, huh? 

In a press release, Brandon said, "Having my song included in a PSA talking about serving the 

poor was hugely rewarding. The Emmy is a nice statue, loving Nashville's homeless is 

monumental. I'm especially grateful to WTVF NewsChannel 5, and Jackie Pillers, and to Jerry 

Walker for the idea." 

"Give Me Your Eyes" appears on Brandon's 2008 Grammy-nominated sophomore album, What If We. The album 

has delivered back-to-back No. 1 singles with "Give Me Your Eyes," which captured 14 weeks at No.1 on 

Billboard's Hot Christian AC radio chart, plus 27 weeks at No. 1 on iTunes Christian Song Chart, with 439,000 

total digital downloads. The second single "Wait And See" topped Billboard's Christian AC Indicator chart in July 

2009. The album's current single "Love Never Fails" moves into Top 20 at Billboard's AC Monitored this week.

 2/8/2010 “Give Me Your Eyes” by Brandon Heath, played for Pilot Terry Virts.

 2/9/2010 “Katmandu” by Bob Seger, was played for Commander George Zamka.

 2/10/2010 “Also Sprach Zarathustra” by Richard Strauss, played for Mission Specialist 

Nicholas Patrick. The song is most widely known as the theme from the 

movie “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

 2/11/2010 “Beautiful Day” by U2, played for Mission Specialist Kay Hire.

 2/12/2010 The “Firefly” TV show theme song, “The Ballad of Serenity” by Sonny 

Rhodes played for Mission Specialist Bob Behnken.

 2/13/2010 “Too Much Stuff” by Delbert McClinton, played for Mission Specialist 

Stephen Robinson.

 2/14/2010 “Forty Years On” the Harrow School (London) song, for Harrow alumnus 

Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick.

 2/15/2010 “Parabola” performed by Tool for Mission Specialist Robert Behnken. 

 2/16/2010 “Window on the World” by Jimmy Buffett, played for Mission Specialist 

Kathryn Hire. "That song is very appropriate today," said Endeavour 

mission specialist Kay Hire. "On a day that we'll be working on opening our 

new window on the world." "Our wakeup music today on Endeavour was 

Jimmy Buffett's 'Window on the World,'" astronaut Steve Robinson 

observed. "I think that came from Kay's family." 

"Ah, lovely," Patrick replied.

 2/17/2010 “Oh Yeah” by Johnny A., played for Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson.

 2/18/2010 “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by Steven Curtis Chapman played for Pilot 

Terry Virts.

 2/19/2010 “In Wonder” by Newsboys, played for Pilot Terry Virts.

 2/20/2010 “The Distance” by Cake, played for all six astronauts from their flight 

control team in the Mission Control Center in Houston. 

 2/21/2010 “The Marines’ Hymn” played for Commander George Zamka, who is a 

colonel in the Marine Corps.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-130/html/ndxpage1.html
69

STS-131 April 4-20, 2010

 4/5/2010 “Find Us Faithful” performed by Steve Green. It was played for veteran 

Mission Specialist Clayton Anderson, who spent 152 days as a member of 

the Station’s Expedition 15 crew in 2007. 

 4/6/2010 “I Will Rise” by Chris Tomlin, was played for Pilot James P. Dutton Jr.

 4/7/2010 “The Pigeon and a Boy” by Joe Hisaishi, played for Japan Aerospace 

Exploration Agency astronaut Naoko Yamazaki. 

 4/8/2010 “Defying Gravity”, from the musical “Wicked”, sung by Idina Menzel and 

Kristen Chenoweth, played for Mission Specialist Dottie MetcalfLindenburger. 

 4/9/2010 “We Weren’t Born to Follow” by Bon Jovi, played for Mission Specialist 

Rick Mastracchio.

 4/10/2010 “Stairway to the Stars” by Ella Fitzgerald, played for Mission Specialist 

Stephanie Wilson.

 4/11/2010 “Because We Believe”, by Andrea Bocelli for Commander Alan G. 

Poindexter.

 4/12/2010 "Galileo" by the Indigo Girls for Mission Specialist Dottie MetcalfLindenburger and the rest of the crew.

 4/13/2010 “Miracle of Flight” by Mike Hyden, played for Mission Specialist Clayton 

Anderson.

 4/14/2010 “The Earth in the Color of Lapis Lazuli” by Seiko Matsuda for Naoko 

Yamazaki.

 4/15/2010 “Theme from Stargate” played for Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio.

 4/16/2010 “Joy” performed by the Newsboys selected for Pilot James P. Dutton Jr.

 4/17/2010 “What a Wonderful World”, by Louis Armstrong for Mission Specialist 

Stephanie Wilson.

 4/18/2010 “The Star Spangled Banner”,played for Commander Alan G. Poindexter.

 4/19/2010 “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson for the crew.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-131/html/ndxpage1.html
70

STS-132 May 14-26, 2010

See THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME GOES TO OUTERSPACE ON THE 

SHUTTLE ATLANTIS

May 15, 2010

http://rockhall.com/blog/post/4380_shuttle-atlantis/

 5/15/2010 “You’re My Home” performed by Billy Joel. The song was played for 

Commander Ken Ham.

 5/16/2010 “Sweet Home Alabama” performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd, was played for 

Tony Antonelli.

 5/17/2010 “Alive Again” performed by Matt Maher was played for Mike Good.

 5/18/2010 “Macho Man” performed by The Village People was played for Garrett 

Reisman.

 5/19/2010 “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones was played for Piers Sellers.

 5/20/2010 “Welcome to the Working Week” by Elvis Costello was played for Stephen 

Bowen.

 5/21/2010 “Traveling Light” performed by JJ Cale was played for Piers Sellers. 

 5/22/2010 “Lord We Have Seen the Rising Sun” by Matt Redman was played for 

Mission Specialist Mike Good. 

5/23/2010 “These Are Days” performed by 10,000 Maniacs played for Pilot Tony 

Antonelli.

 5/24/2010 The theme to “Wallace and Gromit” played for Steve Bowen. 

 5/25/2010 “Empire State of Mind” performed by Jay Z and Alicia Keys was played for 

Garrett Reisman. 

 5/26/2010 “Supermassive Black Hole” performed by Muse was played for Ken Ham.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-132/html/ndxpage1.html
71

A Little Flight Music: NASA Contest for Wake-Up Songs Prompts 

Astronauts to Recall Tuneful Highlights

From daily wake-up songs to portable music players, music is a big part of life in orbit

By John Matson 

SPACE JAMS: Eric Boe, pilot of the STS 126 mission, exercises with a portable music player on 

space shuttle Endeavour in 2008.

NASA

As deejay gigs go this is a short one, but the audience is captive and the venue is very exclusive. 

With a recently announced contest, NASA has opened the door to the public to choose music to 

be played for astronauts during the final two scheduled space shuttle missions. Four winning 

songs will serve as wake-up music on the missions, currently pegged for November and February

launches.

Wake-up music is a tradition that, according to a NASA history of the practice, stretches back to 

the Apollo moon program. Ground control pipes a tune up to the spacecraft to rouse the crew 

from their sleep shifts, and often a crew member's family will choose a song with special meaning 

for their relative. In this case the two wake-up songs will be chosen from a selection of past 

shuttle tunes, and two more will be selected from original, space-themed compositions submitted 

by musicians.

The contest will probably provide a nice public relations boost for the space agency, but what 

about the astronauts? Does in-flight music even register during the rigors of space travel?

Apparently it does. Wake-up music provides both a source of camaraderie and a connection to 
72

home, according to a few former astronauts, who shared their memories of the practice via email.

"Wake-up music is one of my favorite parts of a mission," says Pamela Melroy, a veteran of three 

shuttle missions between 2000 and 2007. "The way I was taught by my commanders, and the 

way I ran wake-up music on my flight as a commander, was to know in advance what crew 

member and what song was being played each morning." That way, she says, there would be no 

question of whose family was waiting for acknowledgment on the ground.

"I set a small timer right by my head for about two minutes before, and I would gently wake up the 

crew member whose turn it was and make sure they were in place on the flight deck—upstairs—

in time to hear the music," Melroy explains. "I would stay up there with them, make sure they 

knew the name of the song if they weren't sure, and basically be there with them to witness their 

moment. It's a very fond memory from being a commander—to share those few minutes with 

each crew member and their loving families."

One of the most popular wake-up selections through the years has been Louis Armstrong's "What 

a Wonderful World," which has appeared on no fewer than 11 shuttle missions, including one 

mission on which it was played twice for two different astronauts. (The song's late co-composer, 

George David Weiss, died August 23 at the age of 89.) Armstrong's recording was cued up at 

least three times for Scott Parazynski, who flew on five shuttle missions between 1994 and 2007. 

"'What a Wonderful World' was always the perfect accompaniment to the vistas from space," 

Parazynski says. "My family played it for me on several missions, typically before big EVA days." 

(Short for extravehicular activity, EVA is NASA-speak for a spacewalk.)

"My son Luke also dedicated the theme to Star Wars to me before the solar array repair we did 

on STS 120," a 2007 shuttle mission to the International Space Station, Parazynski adds. That 

was probably Parazynski's biggest day ever on the job, he says, and "it really made me smile, 

and put me in the perfect state of mind to go face the challenge."

Wake-up music also offers an opportunity for lightheartedness, as was the case on STS 92, a 

2000 mission to the space station. On the fifth day of the mission, ground control woke the crew 

with "Camelot," from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. That moment rates as three-time shuttle 

flier Leroy Chiao's favorite encounter with shuttle music. All during training the crew was quoting 

lines from the film, "and on the day of the first spacewalk it was played for us," Chiao says. "It set 

the tone for the day, and we had a perfect spacewalk." Like Satchmo, Monty Python has been 

well represented on shuttle flights—the theme to Monty Python's Flying Circus television show 
73

was played twice, and the U.K. comedy troupe's "The Galaxy Song" was played once.

Melroy's favorite wake-up music memory comes from that same 2000 shuttle mission. "One of 

the movies we loved as a crew was So I Married an Axe Murderer," she recalls. In one scene the 

father of the main character (both father and son are played by Mike Myers), a caricature of a 

Scotsman who tends his own Scottish Wall of Fame, dances arm-in-arm with his wife to 

"Saturday Night," a 1970s hit by the Edinburgh pop group the Bay City Rollers. The mission's 

training team, knowing the astronauts' affinity for the movie, dedicated the song to the entire crew 

on the 11th day of the mission. "The whole crew crowded up on the flight deck, and Brian Duffy 

[the mission's commander] and I linked arms and mimicked the dance in the movie, floating 

around in zero g and cracking up," Melroy says.

Portable music players also find plenty of use in space. Parazynski relied on earbuds during 

workouts, and Chiao says some astronauts use them during work operations as well. "Most of us 

just use one earbud, and leave the other ear open to hear operational calls," he says. But 

sometimes personal players simply provide a musical accompaniment to one of the greatest 

vistas available to humankind. Melroy caught on to listening to music toward the end of her first 

shuttle flight. "Everyone else carried their CD players and headphones with them," she says, "and 

it wasn't until I did the same—perhaps eight days into the mission—and heard the swelling 

sounds of music as I looked out at the majesty of Earth that I realized what I had been missing."

August 27, 2010

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=nasa-shuttle-music

 
74

STS-133 February 24- March 9, 2011

Read NASA’s Press Release announcing the winners of the STS-133 wakeup song contest:

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/feb/HQ_11-055_Top_40.html

Read a space.com article on the contest and wakeup calls through history: 

http://www.space.com/11029-space-music-astronauts-wakeup-songs.html

Discovery crew enjoys 'live' wakeup tune; packs for re-entry 

03/08/2011 04:45 AM 

By WILLIAM HARWOOD

CBS News

In a first for mission control and a shuttle crew, the Discovery astronauts were awakened Tuesday with a 

live performance of "Blue Sky" by Big Head Todd and the Monsters, a tune inspired by the first postColumbia mission. The song won the most votes in a NASA "Top 40" competition giving the public an 

opportunity to select the crew's wakeup music.

<>

Todd Park Mohr, leader of Big Head Todd and the Monsters, 

performs the band's song "Blue Sky" in a live wakeup call to the 

Discovery astronauts. (Credit: NASA TV)

Playing an acoustic guitar, band leader Todd Park Mohr, singing solo but flanked by his three fellow 

musicians, serenaded the astronauts at 3:23 a.m. EST (GMT-5) to kick start Discovery's final full day in 

space.

"We've waited long for this day to come," he sang, "for all the midnight lights we've burned into the 

morning sun, I can't wait to see your sweet mysteries, the moon, the stars, the sun, the universe, the 

galaxies.

"Fly home on your silver wings, with your new song for the world to sing, light this candle, make it right."

Big Head Todd and the Monsters won a NASA competition allowing the public to pick two of the 

Discovery crew's wakeup songs, winning 722,662 of the more than 2.4 million votes cast. Second place 

went to the theme from the "Star Trek" television series, which was beamed up to the crew Monday with a 
75

voice over by William Shatner marking Discovery's final mission.

"Hello everybody. Greetings, this is Todd from Big Head Todd and the Monsters," Mohr radioed Discovery 

from mission control.

"Well, good morning, Todd, thanks very much for that," commander Steven Lindsey replied from orbit. 

"That was great. Did you just do that live?"

"I did just do that iive, and I believe it's a first in history."

"Well, that was terrific, we really appreciate it and congratulations on winning the contest," Lindsey said.

<>

Todd Park Mohr chats with Discovery commander Steven Lindsey. 

(Credit: NASA TV)

"Well, on behalf of Big Head Todd and the Monsters and songwriters and artists everywhere, we just want 

to thank you so much for your courage and your bravery and your effort in just giving all of us a better shot 

at knowing more. It's very inspirational to the arts as well. I just want you to be home safely and as soon as 

you can."

"Thank you very much," Lindsey said. "We all wish you could see what we can see when we look out at 

the Earth and hopefully, everybody will be able to do that one of these days. Hopefully sooner rather than 

later."

"We'll work on that together. Thank you so much."

http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/home/spacenews/files/abb7063d9ed444cbd4a0e1d9bbbac4d

7-192.html

 
76

2/25/2011 “Through Heaven's Eyes” performed by Brian Stokes Mitchell on the “The

Prince of Egypt” soundtrack. The song was played for Mission Specialist 

Michael Barratt.

 2/26 /2011 “Woody’s Roundup” performed by Riders in the Sky, which was played for 

Mission Specialist Alvin Drew.

 2/27/2011 “Java Jive” as performed by The Manhattan Transfer quartet, was played

for Commander Steve Lindsey.

 2/28/2011 “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” by Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam 

was played for Mission Specialist Nicole Stott.

 3/1/2011 “Happy Together” by The Turtles. The song was played for Mission 

Specialist Steve Bowen.

 3/2/2011 "The Speed of Sound" by Coldplay. It was played for Pilot Eric Boe.

 3/3/2011 “City of Blinding Lights” by U2. It was for all the crew members.

 3/4/2011 “The Ritual/Ancient Battle/2nd Kroykah,” from volume two of “Star Trek:

The Original Television Soundtrack” – better known as the Star Trek fight 

song – was played for the crew. The song was chosen by the crew’s training 

team.

 3/5/2011 Bowling for Soup’s “Ohio (Come Back to Texas),” which was played for

the whole crew.

 3/6 /2011 “Spaceship Superstar” by Prism. It was chosen for all Discovery crew

members by the team of flight controllers who have been supporting them

overnight throughout the mission.

 3/7/2011 The “Theme from Star Trek,” performed by Alexander Courage, served as

the wake up music for Discovery’s crew at 2:23 a.m. It received the second 

most public votes from a Top 40 list in a Space Shuttle Program-sponsored 

song contest (671,134 votes (27 percent of the total). The top two songs with 

the most votes from that list earned the right to be played as wake up music

for Discovery’s crew during its final mission. As a bonus, actor William 

Shatner recorded a special introduction to the song: 

“Space, the final frontier. These have been the voyages of the Space Shuttle 

Discovery. Her 30 year mission: To seek out new science. To build new 

outposts. To bring nations together on the final frontier. To boldly go, and 

do, what no spacecraft has done before.”

It was a fitting beginning to the day that will see Discovery undock from the 

space station for the last time. Discovery was the first space shuttle to dock 

to the International Space Station, during the STS-96 mission in 1999, 

marking just one time it did what no spacecraft had done before.

 3/8/2011 “Blue Sky” by Big Head Todd and the Monsters. The song was performed

live by Todd Park Mohr, vocalist and lead guitarist of the band, 

accompanied by fellow band mates Brian Nevin, Rob Squires and Jeremy 

Lawton. The song received the most votes in NASA’s Top 40 song contest 

receiving 722,662 votes (29 percent of the 2,463,774 total). It was originally 

written as a tribute to the space program and workforce, and is routinely 

played in concert by the four-member band. The live performance was the 

first time a shuttle crew has been awakened “live” from Mission Control, 

Houston. “That was terrific,” Lindsey radioed down to Mohr. “We really 

appreciate it and congratulations on winning the contest.” 

Mohr, with his three band members in the control center, thanked Lindsey 

for his courage, bravery “and your effort in just giving all of us a better shot 

at knowing more. It’s very inspirational to the arts as well.”

 3/9/2011 “Coming Home” by Gwyneth Paltrow chosen by the International Space 

Station flight control teams that supported the crew.

http://www.archive.org/details/STS-133
77

STS-134 May 16-June 1, 2011

Read NASA’s Press Release announcing the winners of the STS-134 “Original Song Contest”:

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/may/HQ_11-154_Wake_Up_Songs.html

 5/16/2011 “Beautiful Day” performed by U2. The song was played for Commander 

Mark Kelly. Wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords helped start the first 

full work day in space for her husband and the crew of the space shuttle 

Endeavour with the song. It's the same song Giffords sent as a wake-up call 

to Mark Kelly in 2006 when they were just dating. But this time the 

message-of-hope lyrics seemed to have a special meaning given her 

recovery from being shot in the head Jan. 8 in Arizona. 

This time the song was from Giffords and Kelly's two daughters. 

"It's good to be waking up in space again," Kelly radioed back to Earth. "I 

want to thank Gabby, Claudia and Claire for that great wake up song. It's 

always good to hear U2 and 'Beautiful Day' in space."

 5/17/2011 “Drops of Jupiter”, a song by the band Train played for Pilot Greg Johnson, 

a tune selected for Johnson by his family and radioed up to the shuttle by 

Mission Control. 

"I love that song and I love being in space," Johnson radioed Mission 

Control. Johnson thanked his teenage son Matt for choosing the song and 

apologized for missing his birthday, which is tomorrow. "And I want to say 

that's a perfect way to start an exciting rendezvous day!"

 5/18/2011 “Luna,” performed by Jose Serrano for his friend Greg Chamitoff

 5/19/2011 “We All Do What We Can Do.” The song was sent up for Mike Fincke by 

shuttle thermal protection system engineer Dan Keenan, and Kenny 

McLaughlin, a Kennedy Space Center launch pad engineer. The two shuttle 

workers created the song to honor those who have helped make the space 

program a success.

 5/20/2011 “In View” performed by Tragically Hip. The song was played for Andrew 

Feustel.

 5/21/2011 “Il Mio Pensiero” performed by Ligabue. The song was played for Roberto 

Vittori.

 5/22/2011 “Times Like These” by the Foo Fighters for Mission Specialist Andrew 

Feustel.

 5/23/2011 “Svegliarsi La Mattina (Woke Up This Morning)” by the Italian duo Zero 

Assoluto, uplinked especially for Mission Specialist Roberto Vittori of 

Italy.

 5/24/2011 “Real World” by Matchbox 20 for shuttle Pilot Greg Johnson.

 5/25/2011 “Countdown” by the Canadian band Rush, played for Mission Specialist 

Mike Fincke. Fincke described how his friends Greg Shurtz and NASA 

employee Ken Fisher chose the song because the band was inspired to write 

it and the album “Signals” after viewing the launch of STS-1. Fincke went 

on to say the song was played as a tribute to the space shuttle program, 

which has inspired people around the world.

 5/26/2011 A modified version of the song “Fun, Fun, Fun” with shuttle-themed lyrics, 

played for all six STS-134 crew members.

 5/27/2011 “Will You Carry Me?” performed by Michael FitzPatrick. FitzPatrick has 

been an Electrical, Environmental, Consumables, and Mechanical flight 

controller at NASA's Johnson Space Center for more than 20 years and 

supported 80 missions.

 5/28/2011 “Galaxy Song” performed by Clint Black. The song was dedicated to the 

whole crew by the flight control team. 

 5/29/2011“ “Slowness” by the Tucson, Arizona-based band Calexico, was played for 

Kelly. Mark Kelly picked Calexico's "Slowness" as a wake-up call to honor 

his wife, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and her hometown, Tucson.
78

Kelly tells mission control in Houston that Gabby “really wants to get back 

there and is really looking forward to that, so it’s an appropriate song. 

That’s coming soon."

 5/30/2011 The original composition “Dreams You Give” by Brain Plunkett, the second 

place winner in the Space Shuttle Program’s Original Song Contest, which 

drew more than 1,300 entries. More than a million votes were cast online by 

the general public to choose two songs from among 10 finalists to be played 

to the astronauts.

 5/31/2011 “Sunrise Number 1,” performed by the band Stormy Mondays. This song 

was chosen in an online vote of the general public as the winner in the 

Space Shuttle Program’s Original Song Contest, which attracted 1350 

entrants.

http://www.archive.org/details/STS-134

STS-135 July 8-July 2011

 7/9/2011 “Viva la Vida” performed by Coldplay, a song picked by STS-135 Pilot Doug Hurley. The 

song was accompanied by a special good morning message recorded by employees at 

NASA’s Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the NASA center that has 

managed the Space Shuttle’s solid rocket boosters, main engines and external tank throughout 

the program’s history.

 7/10/2011 “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra played for Commander Chris Ferguson.

 7/11/2011 “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba played for Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus.

 7/12/2011 “More” by Matthew West played for Mission Specialist Rex Walheim.

 7/13/2011 Flight Day 6 was kick-started for the STS-135 astronauts with a special wake-up message 

from Elton John and one of the legendary performer’s greatest hits. "Rocket Man" debuted 

around the time of the Apollo 16 mission, which sent men to the moon for the fifth time. The 

4-1⁄2 minute song, which describes a long-term space bound astronaut’s mixed feelings at 

leaving his family to do his job, has been played to awaken four shuttle crews aboard 

Discovery and Atlantis. "Rocket Man" also, one of NASA’s top 40 wakeup call songs listed 

for voter selection during a contest to commemorate the Space Shuttle Discovery and 

Endeavour’s last missions, earned nearly 5,000 votes from the public. The song inspired by 

space exploration woke up the final space shuttle crew of Atlantis one last time: "Good 

morning Atlantis, this is Elton John. We wish you much success on your mission. A huge 

thank you to all the men and women at NASA who worked on the shuttle for the last three 

decades."

 7/14/2011 Michael Stipe front man for R.E.M. started the crew’s day with an A capella version of the 

group’s hit, "Man on the Moon". On recording this song for the Atlantis’ last crew Stipe said, 

“I recorded ‘Man on The Moon’ for NASA in Venice, Italy, where Galileo first presented to 

the Venetian government his eight-power telescope, and in 1610 wrote 'The Starry Messenger' 

(Sidereus Nuncius), an account of his early astronomical discoveries that altered forever our 

view of our place in the universe.”

 “Good morning, Atlantis,” he said. “This is Michael Stipe from R.E.M. We wish you much 

success on your mission, and thank all the women and men at NASA who have worked on 

shuttle for three decades. From Earth, a very good morning to you.”

 7/15/2011 Sir Paul McCartney greeted the Atlantis crew with the Beatles favorite "Good Day Sunshine". 

"Good morning guys, wake up! And good luck on this, your last mission. Well done,"

McCartney said in a message recorded pre-launch for the final space shuttle crew.

 7/16/2011 "Run the World (Girls)" After being awakened by a special greeting from songstress Beyonce 

Knowles. Beyonce also known as Sasha Fierce was born in Houston, also home of the final 

shuttle astronauts: Chris Ferguson, Doug Hurley, Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim. Beyonce 

brought it on orbit when “Girls” was played for the entire crew as a tribute to the final shuttle 

mission and also to women in space: “Good morning Atlantis, this is Beyonce. Sandy, Chris, 

Doug and Rex, you inspire all of us to dare to live our dreams, to know that we’re smart 

enough and strong enough to achieve them. This song is especially for my girl, Sandy, and

and all the women who’ve taken us to space with them and the girls who are our future 

explorers.”
79

 7/17/2011 "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang, played for Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus. The song 

was accompanied by a special good morning message recorded by employees at NASA's 

Stennis Space Center in southern Mississippi, the NASA center that is home to the test stands 

that verified each of the main engines that helped propel space shuttles into low Earth orbit, 

including the three used in the STS-135 launch. “Good morning Atlantis, from your friends at 

Stennis Space Center,” Stennis employees said. “It’s time to fire up your engines – laissez les 

bons temps rouler!” 

“Laissez les bons temps rouler,” is a Cajun French phrase that translates “Let the good times 

roll.” was in good working order before it was installed.

 7/18/2011 "Days Go By" by Keith Urban, which was played for Mission Specialist Rex Walheim. The 

song was accompanied by a special good morning message recorded by employees at NASA's 

Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. The NASA center is home not only to the astronaut 

corps, but also Mission Control and the Space Shuttle Program. “Good morning, Atlantis, 

from all of us at the Johnson Space Center!” chorused an auditorium-full of Johnson

employees in a message recorded before Atlantis’ launch. “Have a great mission!”

 7/19/2011 "Don't Panic" by Coldplay, which was played for Pilot Doug Hurley. This was the last 

wakeup song played for a shuttle crew while docked to the International Space Station. 

Coldplay's “Viva la Vida” was the wakeup music for the crew on Flight Day 2.

 7/20/2011 "Fanfare for the Common Man" by Aaron Copland played for Commander Chris Ferguson. It 

was followed by a prerecorded message from Kennedy Space Center employees. “Three ... 

two ... one ... Good morning, Atlantis!” the group said. “Kennedy salutes you. See you back 

at wheels stop!” Kennedy is home to the space shuttle fleet, along with its launch pads and the 

people who prepared the shuttles for each trip into space.

 7/21/2011 Kate Smith’s rendition of Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” woke Commander Chris 

Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim. But 

unlike most wakeup songs, which are played in honor of a particular crew member, this one 

was dedicated to all the men and women who have worked for the Space Shuttle Program in 

the past three decades... “the men and women who put their heart and soul into the shuttle 

program for all these years,” as Capcom Shannon Lucid told the crew. 

Ferguson said it was an appropriate song for their last day in space.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/135_wakeup.html

Lost Space Shuttle Tradition? Astronaut Wake-Up Songs May Retire With Fleet

by Mike Wall, SPACE.com Senior Writer

Date: 20 July 2011 Time: 09:29 AM ET

http://www.space.com/12360-astronaut-wakeup-songs-space-shuttle-retirement.html
80

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS)

...only a shuttle crew receives wake up music while a space station crew uses an alarm clock.

 From: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/living/spacesleep/index.html

"Crew members will be allowed to take a certain amount of personal gear up with them," said Lu. "So 

things like checkers or chess sets, CDs and tape players, and the like are allowed. You can listen to your 

favorite music if you like. DVD movies will also be available for viewing."

Edward Lu

The station's Russian-built crew quarters is outfitted with only two small "staterooms." About the size of 

broom closets, the so-called "kayudas" feature porthole windows that face Earth. 

The temporary sleep station is a hollow lab rack outfitted with a ventilation system, radiation protection, 

lights and electrical outlets for laptop computers or CD and DVD players.

 From: “Moving Van Mounted to Station, Change of Command Underway”

 By Todd Halvorson , August 13, 2001 Space.com

And we actually can listen to music. We have speakers in the – in the service module, and also in the node 

where we can listen to whatever tunes we would like to listen to, and we also have a little CD players, 

private ones, that we can listen to with headphones in our little cabins...

Carl Walz

Interview of Dan Bursch, Yury Onufrienko, and Carl Walz, Astronauts

Leon Harris, Miles O’Brien January 3, 2002 CNN: Live This Morning

February 2, 2002 – Elvis, also known as Carl Walz, treated the teachers to a new version of "Heartbreak 

Hotel" during a live videoconference between teachers attending ISSEC and the Expedition Four Crew 

during ISS Educator Conference at Space Center Houston. "Well since I left my baby; I found a new place 

to dwell. It's 400 kilometers in the air. It's called space station Alpha. But baby it's lonely. Oh, it's so lonely. 

But I'll be back in May. Ohhhhhhh, yeah." 

It turns out that music plays a big role. You know, of course, we have, CDs that we play when we work out, 

when we ride the bikes and exercise, or just to have on while we’re living in space and of course we also 

brought along some musical instruments. It so happens that I have a small keyboard up here...And, so I 

can play that as well here, and we also have a guitar as well, so I’ve been learning how to play the guitar. 

I play the keyboard back home but the guitar is a new thing that I’ve picked up here in my free time.

 Carl Walz from E-Town radio show broadcast May 9, 2002 – “ISS Interview”
81

Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, a classical musician, brought her flute as one of her personal items on her first 

shuttle flight. She only got to play it once, though, and that was as part of an educational video for school 

kids. On short shuttle flights, she explains, astronauts are so busy that they really don't have much time to 

play an instrument. "For a shuttle flight, it's probably more of a sentimental thing, a memento for people 

who have had music as a serious hobby."

 But on long duration stints onboard the station, "you do have a fair amount of free time," says Walz, 

"especially on Sundays." There's more opportunity to take out an instrument and play.

 "It's a link to home," says Walz, who plays for his hometown church, sings in the astronaut band, is 

known for his Elvis imitations, and, during his time on station not only played the keyboard, but also found 

the time to teach himself some guitar. Walz thinks that link is important. "Some guys might disagree, and 

say, 'well, you know, you want to cut all those links.' But I prefer to have them." No matter how long an 

astronaut remains in space, he says, "we all know we're going back to Earth. We know we're going back to 

that life..."

 "In long duration," says Ochoa, "you want to prepare yourself for being away a long time. One of the 

things you want to do is to carry on with activities that are important to you on the ground. A lot of those, 

you can't. But whenever you can--and playing a musical instrument is an example -- people sure like to do 

that."

 "The strangest thing about playing music in space," says Carl Walz, "is that it's not strange. In most 

homes, there's a musical instrument or two. And I think it's fitting that in a home in space you have musical 

instruments as well. It's natural."

 "Music makes it seem less like a space ship, and more like a home."

“Space Station Music” http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/04sep_music.htm

“We have a small piano up here. It's an electronic piano, and I like to play the piano in my spare time," Lu 

explained to the 124 space campers at Space Center Turkey in Izmir during a July 14 contact arranged as 

part of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program.

“Ed Lu is "The Piano Man" Aboard the ISS “ 

July 23, 2003

This Sunday, the Expedition 12 crew aboard the international space station received a special treat -- a 

live musical wakeup call from Paul McCartney during a first-ever concert linkup. The wakeup call, during 

which McCartney performed "Good Day Sunshine" and "English Tea," came from McCartney's "US" Tour 

performance at the Anaheim, Calif., Arrowhead Pond. It was broadcast live on NASA TV. 

 NASA News 11/13/05
82

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- It was "Good Day Sunshine" for the international space station crew Sunday morning. 

NASA astronaut Bill McArthur and Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokarev were treated to a live wake-up call 

of the Beatles classic in a first-ever concert linkup to the space station.

On Earth, former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney performed the hit and another song, "English Tea," on 

Saturday night before a cheering crowd as part of his 11-week "US" tour.

The performance was beamed from the West Coast to the space station crew 220 miles above Earth and 

broadcast on NASA television, which showed live feeds from space.

McArthur and Tokarev bobbed up and down and sipped from squeeze pouches through the show, getting a 

rousing cheer from the audience.

"I can't believe that we're actually transmitting to space!" McCartney said. "This is sensational. I love it."

McArthur, who did a couple flips, noted McCartney's creative achievements and thanked him for playing 

the songs.

"That was simply magnificent," McArthur said. "We consider you an explorer just as we are."

It is a tradition to wake astronauts up with recorded songs, but this marked the first time astronauts 

listened to live music from space.

The rock icon came up with the idea after learning that NASA's Mission Control used "Good Day 

Sunshine" to wake up the Space Shuttle Discovery astronauts in August with word that conditions were 

favorable to return to Earth.

The wake-up call marked the space station crew's 44th day of a planned six month mission in space.

Paul McCartney Sings to Space Station Crew

The Associated Press

Sunday, November 13, 2005
83

MARS PATHFINDER & SOJOURNER ROVER

Sol

 4 “The Final Frontier” Paul Reiser, Don Was (Theme from “Mad About You”) 

The team sent their "wakeup call" to Mars as a joke (it's not like a spacecraft would need music) and the 

team enjoyed it enough that it became a tradition. The "Mad About You" production office was surprised 

by the choice and put out a press release noting the unusual use for their theme song. They even used a clip 

of the Mars team playing the music in the end credits of one of their shows. PC

5 “Three Little Birds” Bob Marley 

 6 “In the Mood” Glenn Miller (with live accompaniment by Chief Engineer Rob 

Manning) 

8 “Coisinha Do Pai” Brazilian Samba

12 “You’ve Got a Friend” Randy Newman

13 “Follow You, Follow Me” Genesis

14 “Also Sprach Zarathrustra” Richard Strauss (Theme from “2001: A Space 

Odyssey”)

17 “Roll to Me” Del Amitri

18 “Let the Good Times Roll” Ray Charles

19 “So Far Away” Dire Straits

20 “Life in the Fast Lane” Eagles

21 “Ride of the Valkyries” Richard Wagner

22 “Wild, Wild Life” Talking Heads

23 “Theme from Rawhide” Blues Brothers

24 “Radar Love” Golden Earring

25 “Wise Up” Bim Skala Bim

26 “Dreams” Van Halen

27 “I’ll Be There For You” Rembrandts (Theme from “Friends”)

28 “Long Distance” Kinks 

29 “Learning to Fly” Pink Floyd 

30 “The Way You Look Tonight” Frank Sinatra 

 “Fantastic, That’s You” Louis Armstrong 

32 “Love Me Like a Rock” Paul Simon 

33 “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” Blood, Sweat and Tears 

34 “Let Your Fingers Do the Walking” Sort Sol 

35 “The World is Waiting for the Sunrise” Gene Lockhart (father of June Lockhart of 

“Lost in Space”)

36 “Obscured By Clouds” Pink Floyd 

37 “Where the Streets Have No Name” U2

39 “Mars Rovin’” Tempus Fugit and the Time Travellers

 
84

MARS SPIRIT AND OPPORTUNITY 

The function of the Wake-Up Music is as it would suggest, to 'wake-up' the mission team and get them 

focused on the days activities. As we will see the selection is often a little bit tongue-in-cheek. The music 

was originally played for the team around the time that the "sweep" was transmitted to the Rover shortly 

after it woke up. This sweeps the transmit frequency so the Rover's receiver can lock onto it. This occurs at 

around 8.45AM local time (at the landing site). However this meant the song was being played before many 

of the team members came-in, so the time was subsequently shifted to 10AM local time. By this time most of 

the crew are on station and ready to begin the Sol's activities. Sol is the term for a Martian 'Day'. One 

Martian Sol is 39.5 minutes longer than one Earth Day.

The song (sometimes songs) for each Sol are typically chosen by the Mission Managers, in the case of 

Spirit this is Dr. Mark Adler. The songs are chosen for a link they have with the planned activities for the 

day.

NASA Gets Into the Groove! From Above Top Secret News Network, February 21, 2004

 theGroove!

The eclectic playlist is Mars rover Spirit mission manager Mark Adler's way of waking exhausted engineers 

and scientists who are working and sleeping on Mars time and dealing with a sometimes temperamental 

rover millions of miles away... Below is the Spirit playlist, along with some explanations by Adler for why 

the songs were chosen. A sol is a Martian day, slightly longer than a day on Earth at 24 hours, 37 minutes.

From: Mars Rocks! Eclectic Music Moves Rover Mission. By Robert Roy Britt February 26, 2004, 

Space.com and Jet Propulsion Laboratory Rover Daily Updates.

 Spirit's playlist: 

 Sol 2: Good Morning, Good Morning, by the Beatles. 

 Sol 3: Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’, by Rodgers and Hammerstein. 

 Sol 4: Hail to the Chief, by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. (Presidential phone call.) 

 Sol 5: Satisfaction, by the Rolling Stones. ("I can't get no ...", Air bags not cooperating.) 

 Sol 6: Get Up, Stand Up, by Bob Marley. (Lift mechanism actuated.) 

 Sol 7: Da Da Da, by Casaca. (Brazilian song suggested by investigator from Brazil, RRGTM 

student that week from Brazil.) 

 Sol 8: Soak Up the Sun, by Cheryl Crow. (Laid-back sol.) 

 Sol 9: I Can See Clearly Now, by Jimmy Cliff. (Picture taking sol.) 

 Sol 10: Unchained, by Van Halen; Hit the Road Jack, by Buster Poindexter; Turn, Turn, Turn, by 

the Byrds. (Cable-cutting, backup on landing deck. start turn on deck.) 

 Sol 11: I Get Around, by the Beach Boys; Round and Round, by Ratt; You Spin Me ‘Round, by 

Thalía. (Rest of turn on landing deck.) 

 Sol 12: Born to be Wild, by Steppenwolf; Rawhide, by Riders in the Sky; Who Let The Dogs 

Out?, by the Baha Men. (Egress.) 

 Sol 13: Reach Out, by the Four Tops. (First robotic arm activity.) 

 Sol 14: You’ve Got The Magic Touch, by the Platters. (Touching robotic arm down on Mars.) 

 Sol 15: If You Love Somebody Set Them Free, by Sting; Roam, by The B-52’s; Good Times Roll, 

by The Cars. (Last engineering activities, first drive on the surface.) 

 Sol 16: After Midnight, by Eric Clapton; Trash Day, by Weird Al Yankovic. (Crew starts Mars 

day after California midnight, part of the sol dedicated to deleting contents of flash.) 

 Sol 17: We Will Rock You, by Queen. (First arm activities and observations on a rock.) 

 Sol 18: Sledgehammer, by Peter Gabriel. (Intended first [Rock Abrasion Tool] RAT sol, though 

ran into problems later, to put it mildly.) 

 Sol 19: S.O.S., by Abba. (Objective was to regain contact with Spirit after a loss of 

communications. We did.) 

 Sol 20: Baby, Talk to Me, from the musical Bye Bye Birdie. (Objective was to get Spirit to send 

data. She did.) 

Sol 21: Satellite, by The Hooters. (A rousing lullaby for when we were trying, and succeeded, to 

get the rover to go to sleep.) 
85

 Sol 22: We Can Work it Out, by The Beatles. (Beginning debugging activities to get Spirit back to 

normal.) 

 Sol 23: Start Me Up, by the Rolling Stones. (Booting in crippled mode.) 

 Sol 24: Flash, by Queen. (Clearly a flash problem, continuing to debug.) 

 Sol 25: (You're The) Devil In Disguise, by Elvis Presley, and With a Little Help From My Friends, 

by The Beatles. (Continuing debug, got picture!) 

 Sol 26: I Want a New Drug, by Huey Lewis & The News. (Trying yet another recipe for getting 

task trace, still didn't work.) 

 Sol 27: Anticipation, by Carly Simon. (Seeing if the file deletes will do the trick or not. They did.) 

 Sol 28: On the Road Again, by Willie Nelson. ("Can't wait to get back on ...", back to normal use 

of the flash file system, itching to get going.) 

 Sol 29: Here Comes the Sun, by The Beatles. (More normal operations, Mars Express coordinated 

overflight.) 

 Sol 30: Lean On Me, performed by Club Nouveau. (Intended RAT brush sol, pressing RAT on 

rock, though activities did not complete.) 

 Sol 31: I Wanna Be Sedated, by the Ramones. (Very low activity sol to get the rover rested and 

ready for surgery on the following sol.) 

 Sol 32: Wipe Out, by The Surfaris, and We're Not Gonna Take It, by Twisted Sister. (File system 

reformat.) 

 Sol 33: Back In the Saddle Again, by Gene Autry, and The Star Spangled Banner, performed by 

Beyoncé. (Back to normal operations, color flag picture on RAT.) 

 Sol 34: The Laundry Cycle: Pounded on a Rock, by The Bobs, and Bump N' Grind, by R. Kelly. 

(First RAT grinding.) 

 Sol 35: Up Around the Bend, by Credence Clearwater Revival. (Intended drive around lander to 

begin drive to crater. Didn't get anywhere though.) 

 Sol 36: Stuck On You, by Elvis Presley. (Drive didn't work yestersol -- we've been stuck here for 

weeks. Drive did work later that sol.) 

 Sol 37: Proud Mary, performed by Tina Turner. ("And we're rolling, rolling, rolling on the river 

...", first long drive, ended up being more than 20 meters.) 

 Sol 38: Runnin' With the Devil, by Van Halen. (HGA [High Gain Antenna] problem that sol, no 

activities, song played late in the sol.) 

 Sol 39: Hit the Road Jack, by Buster Poindexter. (Another long drive -- yes, this is a reuse of that 

song.) 

 Sol 40: What a Wonderful World, by Louis Armstrong. (Mars, that is.) 

 Sol 41: Open Road Song, by Eve 6. (Driving song, though only did several inches of driving to 

position in front of rock.) 

 Sol 42: Lift Up Every Stone, by John Hiatt. (Observations of the rock "Mimi".) 

 Sol 43: Livin' On a Prayer, by Bon Jovi. (Many sols tend to start with our fingers crossed.) 

 Sol 44: Way Over Yonder, by Carole King. (Heading for that crater.) 

 Sol 45: Touch Me in the Morning, by Diana Ross. (Touch and go sol.) 

 Sol 46: Wake Up Little Susie, by The Everly Brothers. (Generic wakeup song.) 

 Sol 47: Dig Down Deep, by Hot Soup. (Trenching sol.) 

 Sol 48: Working in the Coal Mine, by Devo. (Working in the trench.) 

 Sol 49: Coisinha Do Pai, by Beth Carvalho. (Brazilian song played on Mars Pathfinder, played 

again for Carnival weekend.) 

 Sol 50: Samba De Marte, by Beth Carvalho. (Brazilian song written by same artist inspired by use 

of previous song on MPF, this one is a "Mars Samba", also for Carnival weekend. Starts off 

"Hello NASA!".) 

 Sol 51: “Theme from ‘Chariots of Fire’” by Vangelis . (Appropriate for slow-motion races.) 

 Sol 52: Cold as Ice by Foreigner.

 Sol 53: Dust in the Wind by Kansas, with the anticipation of possibly capturing dust devils 

spinning across the Martian surface.

 Sol 54: Big Rock in the Road by Pete Wernick as it made its final approach to the imposing rock 

called "Humphrey."
86

 Sol 55: Brush Your Teeth by Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, and Knock Three Times by Tony 

Orlando and Dawn.

 Sol 56: Walking On Sunshine performed by Jump 5.

 Sol 58: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 to pay homage to its twin rover's 

amazing findings of water evidence at Meridiani Planum.

 Sol 59: One More Time by The Real McCoy.

 Sol 60: Pictures to Prove It by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

 Sol 61: Motor Away by Guided by Voices.

 Sol 62: My First Trip to Mars," by Atticus Fault.

 Sol 66: Livin' on the Edge by Aerosmith since Spirit is at the edge of Bonneville crater.

 Sol 67: On Top of the World by the Carpenters. The song was fitting, as yestersols’s drive put 

Spirit at the rim of "Bonneville" crater, but it took some additional maneuvering to get the rover 

perfectly placed for the 360-degree panoramic camera images it will take on upcoming sols.

 Sol 69: Watching the Wheels by John Lennon.

 Sol 77: "One Step Closer" by the Doobie Brothers, since the rover was to make its final approach 

to the rock target named "Mazatzal" today.

 Sol 80: "Open the Door" by Otis Redding.

 Sol 81: "Boy from New York City" by The Manhattan Transfer, in honor of the grind on the New 

York target.

 Sol 98: "Where Is My Mind?" by The Pixies in honor of its software transplant.

 Sol 109: "(Take me) Riding in my Car" by Woody Guthrie.

 
87

Opportunity's playlist: 

 Sol 2: So Happy Together, by the Turtles (First full sol with both rovers on Mars.) 

 Sol 3: The Spirit of Radio, by Rush (HGA release.) 

 Sol 4: n/a 

 Sol 5: Stand, by REM; I'm Still Standing, by Elton John (Standup.) 

 Sol 6: Lookin' Out My Back Door, by Creedence Clearwater (Revival.); Release Me, by Elvis 

Presley (Middle wheel release); Born to Run,

 by Bruce Springsteen (Wake up.) 

 Sol 7: I'm Free, by The Who (Cable Cut #3); Going Mobile, by The Who (Egress.) 

 Sol 8: You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet, by Bachman-Turner Overdrive (First dual surface nominal 

rover operation.) 

 Sol 9: I'm Coiming Out, by Diana Ross (IDD release.) 

 Sol 10: Pictures of You, by The Cure (First MI image.) 

 Sol 11: Please Please Tell Me Know, by Depeche Mode (First MB data readout of soil.) 

 Sol 12: I'm Leaving Here, by Motorhead (First drive since egress.) 

 Sol 13: Little Honda (aka First Gear), by the Beach Boys (Jaunt away from lander.) 

 Sol 14: Should I Stay or Should I Go, The Clash (We went.) 

 Sol 15: The Flintstones Theme Song, end credits, Version 2 from 1962 (For the arrival at the 

"bedrock.") 

 Sol 16: Slip Slidin' Away, by Paul Simon (Large slips along drive up to the outcrop.) 

 Sol 17: Wake Me Up, by Wham (Touch and go.) 

 Sol 18: Running Down a Dream, by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Drive along the outcrop.) 

 Sol 19: Here I Go Again, by Whitesnake (Repeat of sol 18 drive objective.) 

 Sol 20: I Like Dirt, by Red Hot Chili Peppers; The Pioneers of Mars, by Landa/Linsley (MI/MB 

and drive.) 

 Sol 21: Send Me On My Way, by Rusted Root; Desert Drive, by Tangerine Dream (Drive back to 

El Capitan.) 

 Sol 22: Invisible Touch, by Genesis (MI-MB placement.) 

 Sol 23: Spinning Wheel, by Blood, Sweat, and Tears (Right front trenching wheel.) 

 Sol 24: Trench Town Rock, by Bob Marley (Make use of the trench.) 

 Sol 25: Fascination, by Human League (Regarding the img return from the trench.) 

 Sol 26: Body Movin', by the Beastie Boys (Every rover part exercised.) 

 Sol 27: Touch and Go, by Emerson, Lake and Powell (Touch and go.) 

 Sol 28: I am a Rock, by Simon and Garfunkel (El Capitan target assessment.) 

 Sol 29: Riders on the Storm, by the Doors (Heavy weather at DSS-63 and DSS-14.) 

 Sol 30: Rock 'n Me, by Steve Miller Band (1st RAT on opportunity.) 

 Sol 31: Rock around the Clock, by Bill Haley and His Comets (APXS/MB.) 

 Sol 32: Let It Be, by the Beatles (Long MB integration -- no IDD or mobility.)

 Sol 33: Blueberry Hill by Fats Domino, in honor of the hill in front of the rover.

 Sol 34: Dig In by Lenny Kravitz.

 Sol 35: I Can See Clearly Now by Jimmy Cliff.

 Sol 36: Rock Steady by Sting.

 Sol 37: Let's Go by the Cars.

 Sol 38: Have You Ever Seen the Rain? by Creedence Clearwater Revival in honor of the 

confirmation that liquid water once flowed through the rocks at Meridiani Planum.

 Sol 39: Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival in honor of the eclipse caused by the 

Martian moon Deimos. 

 Sol 41: On the Road Again by Willie Nelson.

 Sol 43: ''You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)" by Bruce Springsteen in recognition of the 

fact that the rock abrasion tool grind did not touch the surface of its rock target on sol 42. 

 Sol 44: "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" by Janis Joplin for the rock abrasion tool's second attempt 

at "Mojo 2," and "X-ray Eyes" by Kiss for the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
88

 Sol 45: ''Eclipse" by Pink Floyd in recognition of the transit of the martian moon, Phobos. A 

second song, "Meet Me Halfway" by Kenny Loggins, was played because Opportunity is halfway 

through its primary 90-sol surface mission.

 Sol 46: The wakeup songs were "Berry Nice News" by Raffi and "Huckling the Berries" by 

Country Cooking in honor of researching the mysterious "blueberries" with the instruments on the 

robotic arm. 

 Sol 47: “No Particular Place to Go” by Chuck Berry in recognition of the stay at "Berry Bowl."

 Sol 48: Jaws: MainTitle and Fist Victim by John Williams.

 Sol 50: The Dentist by Bill Cosby, in honor of the toothy targets in "Shark's Cage." 

 Sol 51: Song of the South by Alabama.

 Sol 53: Ice Cream Man by John Brim woke Opportunity this sol to remind it of the possible sweet 

treats that await at targets referred to as "Chocolate Chip" and "Coconut" in the neighborhood 

dubbed "Mudpie."

 Sol 54: I Feel The Earth Move" by Carole King.

 Sol 56: Fly Like an Eagle by the Steve Miller Band.

 Sol 57: "If You Don't Get it the First Time, Back Up and Try it Again" by the JBs and Fred 

Wesley.

 Sol 58: "Come on Home" by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross beckoned Opportunity back toward its 

landing site crater to an area of bright material.

 Sol 59: "59th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy)" by Simon and Garfunkel.

 Sol 60: “The Circle of Life” by Elton John in honor of the Lion King panorama.

 Sol 64: "Stand" by REM.

 Sol 65: "Back in the Saddle" by Aerosmith.

 Sol 66: "Bounce" by Bon Jovi. Opportunity's rock abrasion tool ground into "Bounce" for just over 

two hours.

 Sol 67: "Changes" by David Bowie.

 Sol 68: "Got to Go Back" by Van Morrison.

 Sol 69: "Little Maggie" by Tom Adams, chosen for the soil target named "Maggie."

 Sol 70: "Truckin'" by The Greatful Dead.

 Sol 72: "The Wanderer" by Dion and the Belmonts.

 Sol 73: "Let the Good Times Roll" by B.B. King - a nod to Spirit's successful primary mission of 

91 sols and a call for more good times during the coming sols. 

 Sol 79: "Teenage Lobotomy" by Ramones. Opportunity began operating with new flight software.

 Sol 82: "I Would Walk 500 Miles," by Less Than Jake (originally by the Proclaimers).

 Sol 85: "Take Me Out to the Ball Game!" by Jack Norworth in honor of all the baseball-related 

target names chosen this sol.

 Sol 101-102: "Morning has Broken" by Cat Stevens; "Hallelujah Chorus" from George Frederic 

Handel's Messiah; and "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin.

 
89

SOURCES 

Chien, Philip author of "Columbia - Final Voyage; The Last Flight of NASA's First Space 

Shuttle". 

 (Philip Chien’s contributions to the Chronology are italicized and followed by “PC”.)

Ezell, Edward Clinton and Ezell, Linda Neuman, “The Partnership: A History of the ApolloSoyuz Test Project”, 1978, SP-4209. 

Mars Pathfinder Sojourner Rover Wake-up Song 

list:http://mpfwww.jpl.nasa.gov/MPF/rover/roversongs.html

MCC Status Reports 

The Mission Transcript Collection: U.S. Human Spaceflight Missions from Mercury Redstone 3 

to Apollo 17 (SP-2000-4602, 2001). 

NASA Audio Highlights Tapes 

NASA Headquarters Current News

NASA Headquarters Historical Reference Collection

NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Audio Control Room 

NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Mission Profiles

NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Space Shuttle Wakeup Calls Website: 

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/index.html

NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Video Repository 

Skylab and Space Shuttle Air-to-Ground Transcripts and PAO Commentary