Artemis II Crew Wakes Up to Iconic 1981 Song on Day 8
The Artemis II crew began the eighth day of its 10-day mission on Wednesday, continuing its journey back towards Earth after its unprecedented lunar flyby.
Every day since the launch from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, the four-person crew has listened to a special "wake-up" song. On Wednesday, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen listened to "Under Pressure" — the iconic 1981 song from Queen and David Bowie.
"Artemis II is just a couple of days away from splashdown—and as Earth grows larger in the mission's sights, the crew woke up this morning to "Under Pressure," by Queen and David Bowie," NASA wrote in a social media post.
At the end of the song, the Artemis II crew received a special transmission from the Canadian Space Agency.
Hansen is the lone CSA astronaut on the Orion spacecraft, making him the first non-American in history to travel within the vicinity of the moon.
"Good morning Artemis II," the CSA said in its transmission.
"Your friend and colleagues at the Canadian Space Agency wish you another great day in your voyage," the message continued. "Canadians everywhere are inspired by your journey and we're with you every step of the way. Let's go!"
Artemis II is just a couple of days away from splashdown—and as Earth grows larger in the mission's sights, the crew woke up this morning to "Under Pressure," by Queen and David Bowie, and greetings from our colleagues at @csa_asc. pic.twitter.com/9IOHJQHEzi
— NASA (@NASA) April 8, 2026
The Artemis II wake-up song playlist now features eight tracks:
- "Sleepyhead" — Young & Sick
- "Green Light" — John Legend feat. Andre 3000
- "In a Daydream" — Freddy Jones Band
- "Pink Pony Club" — Chappell Roan
- "Working Class Heroes (Work)" — CeeLo Green
- "Good Morning" — Mandisa, TobyMac
- "Tokyo Drifting" — Glass Animals, Denzel Curry
- "Under Pressure" — Queen, David Bowie
The Artemis II crew, scheduled to splash down back on Earth Friday, have two more songs to add to the playlist.