Artemis II Crew Wakes Up to Curated Playlist During Historic Lunar Mission

NASA continues 50-year tradition of playing music to rouse astronauts in the morning.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 9:50pm

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A bold, abstract painting in soft blues, greens, and grays featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise spirals, conceptually representing the complex forces and concepts of the Artemis II lunar mission.The Artemis II crew's official wake-up playlist reflects the harmony and precision of their historic lunar mission, blending the timeless traditions of space exploration with the modern sounds of a new generation of explorers.San Diego Today

The four Artemis II astronauts, who are making history as the farthest humans to ever travel in space, are continuing the longstanding tradition of being woken up by music during their 10-day lunar mission. NASA has released the official playlist of wake-up songs selected by the crew, which includes tracks from artists like Young & Sick, John Legend, and Queen.

Why it matters

The tradition of playing music to wake up astronauts dates back to the Apollo program, with songs carefully chosen to energize and inspire the crew. As the Artemis program pushes the boundaries of human space exploration, maintaining this ritual helps connect the new generation of astronauts to the legacy of those who came before them.

The details

Throughout their days in space, the Artemis II crew - NASA's Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover, and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen - have been woken up by a curated playlist of songs. This practice started in the Apollo era, when astronauts were initially "serenaded by their colleagues in mission control with lyrics from popular songs." Over the years, the tradition has evolved, with crews now selecting their own wake-up music in advance of the mission.

  • The Artemis II crew is expected to return to Earth with a splashdown off the coast of San Diego on Friday, April 11, 2026.
  • The official Artemis II wake-up playlist was released by NASA and Spotify on Tuesday, April 8, 2026, with more songs added on Wednesday, April 9, 2026.

The players

Reid Wiseman

NASA astronaut and commander of the Artemis II mission.

Christina Koch

NASA astronaut and mission specialist on the Artemis II crew.

Victor Glover

NASA astronaut and pilot of the Artemis II spacecraft.

Jeremy Hansen

Canadian Space Agency astronaut and mission specialist on the Artemis II crew.

NASA

The United States space agency that is leading the Artemis program and overseeing the Artemis II mission.

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What they’re saying

“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.' You don't want to play a dirge or something uninspiring. You want to get them going in the morning.”

— Chris Hadfield, Retired Canadian astronaut

What’s next

The Artemis II crew is expected to return to Earth with a splashdown off the coast of San Diego on Friday, April 11, 2026. NASA has said more songs may be added to the official wake-up playlist before the crew's return.

The takeaway

The tradition of waking up astronauts with carefully curated music playlists dates back over 50 years to the Apollo program, and continues to be an important ritual that connects new generations of space explorers to the legacies of those who came before them. As the Artemis program pushes the boundaries of human space travel, maintaining this practice helps ground the mission in the shared experiences and values of the global spaceflight community.