Zac Brown’s “Free” Wakes Artemis II Crew in Space

The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission woke up to a piece of country music history last week. A recording of Zac Brown’s 2010 hit “Free” was played inside the Orion spacecraft as a custom wake-up call for the astronauts.

Brown and jewelry designer Kendra Scott announced the event on social media. In a shared clip, the song is heard playing on the eighth day of the mission. Brown addressed astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen by name in a separate message.

“We hope that piece of our song, ‘Free,’ helps start your day with the right kind of lift,” Brown said. He called their mission an act of courage and “the purest kind of American spirit.”

The use of music as a wake-up call is a long standing NASA tradition, connecting crews in orbit with cultural touchstones from Earth. The Artemis II mission, which will loop around the moon and back, is a precursor to planned lunar landings.