The “Wakeup Song” is a tradition amongst NASA astronauts. Traditionally chosen by friends and family of the astronauts, NASA is boldly allowing the public at large to choose a space-themed tune to tinnily blare out of the Space Shuttle’s speakers each morning.
“Space shuttle crews really enjoy the morning wake-up music,” STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly said in a statement released by NASA. “While we don’t have the best quality speaker in the space shuttle, it will be interesting to hear what the public comes up with. We are looking forward to it.”
Voters can either submit an original space-themed song of their own or select from a list of the top 40 previously used Wakeup Songs. That list, by the way, includes clunkers like Train’s “Drops of Jupiter” and Jimmy Buffet’s “Window on the World,” and somehow does not include a single Flaming Lips song, so maybe it’d be best to upload an original track. Calling all indie bands!
There’s no opportunity for a write-in, unfortunately, probably because the less savory corners of the Internet would somehow get “Never Gonna Let You Go” into the top two.
The top two songs from the list of 40 will be used on the last scheduled flight of the space shuttle Discovery, while the top two original songs will be used on the last scheduled flight of the space shuttle Endeavor.
You can vote or submit at NASA’s site here. Warning: The entry page features, I swear to you, an animated .GIF of a sassy dancing astronaut. Your eyes will not be able to un-see it.
