Zac Brown was the final artist to wake up NASA’s Artemis II crew.
The 10-day mission from NASA began on April 1, and saw s a crew of four astronauts embark on a journey around the moon and back. It is the first time humans have attempted the feat in over 50 years, and it has allowed the team to look at parts of the moon never seen before.
Throughout the mission, different songs have been used to wake the crew up, one notably being Chappell Roan’s hit 2023 single ‘Pink Pony Club’.
Yesterday (April 10), the crew landed, completing the mission – but not before being awoken by the 2010 Zac Brown Band hit ‘Free’. The track was then followed by a message personally recorded by Brown for the astronauts.
“Good morning Reed, Victor, Christina and Jeremy,” he told them. “Zac from Zac Brown Band here, checking in from the USA. We hope that piece of our song, ‘Free,’ helps start your day with the right kind of lift. We just want to say how proud we are of you. It takes courage, grit, and freedom to chase the unknown. It’s the purest kind of American spirit.
“Millions back home are looking up and feeling more inspired because of you,” Brown continued. “Keep flying strong. Keep flying safe. We can’t wait to welcome you home.”
The singer and his wife, jewellery designer Kendra Scott, shared a video of the historic moment on Instagram, as well as a clip of the couple reacting to the news. “Baby, wake up! They’re playing your song in space!” the businesswoman tells her husband.
Brown is one of the select few musicians who can say their songs have been played in space, alongside Queen, David Bowie, Glass Animals and more. NASA recently shared a playlist of all the tracks they’ve played.
When it was revealed that Chappell Roan’s huge hit made it onto the space mission playlist, members of the crew also lightheartedly vented their frustrations as it lost signal and cut out one minute in.
“We were all eagerly awaiting the chorus,” Commander Reid Wiseman was heard saying on the Saturday livestream of the lunar mission, before the Capsule Communicator could be heard replying and promising to “try again next time”.