NASA Cuts Short Chappell Roan Wake-Up Call for Artemis II Crew

The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission started their day with a dose of pop music, but not quite enough of it. The agency’s daily wake-up call for the astronauts featured Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” a track from her 2024 album *The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess*.

According to Commander Reid Wiseman, the song was cut off before its chorus. He indicated the crew was disappointed by the early fade-out, having been eager to hear the full track. The moment highlights the human element of spaceflight, where small cultural rituals like song selection break the routine of a high-stakes mission.

The use of contemporary pop music as a wake-up call is a long-standing NASA tradition, connecting crews in orbit with current culture on Earth. Roan’s inclusion points to her song’s specific resonance, a narrative about personal transformation that found an unexpected audience 240 miles above the planet.