The Space Shuttle Discovery is coming home, for the last time, tomorrow.
Xeni already mentioned NASA’s contest that allowed Americans to vote on wake-up songs for the astronauts. The results of that contest—the Theme from Star Trek and “Blue Sky” by Big Head Todd and the Monsters—are the Discovery wake-up calls for today and tomorrow, respectively.
But, in honor of the end of a space flight era, the fine folks at Space.com have put together a much larger playlist of music for space travelers. The selections go beyond the expected—no “Space Oddity”—and would make a lovely soundtrack to the space shuttle’s last two days aloft. Below are four of my favorite selections from the list, but there’s lots more.
“We’re All Made of Stars” — Moby
This track represents a no-brainer from the bald, bespectacled maker of many dance hits.“I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon” –“Sesame Street” (sung by Ernie)
The beloved Muppet character (voiced by Jim Henson) sings plaintively of the many sacrifices he would have to make should he reside on the moon, then decides such a life would be too burdensome to bear. What’s sadder is that we are no closer to having a moon habitat for Ernie today than when the song premiered decades ago.“Satellite of Love” — Lou Reed
Take a walk on the space side with this hauntingly beautiful song in which a “satellite’s gone way up to Mars.” Uh, what?Dwarf Nebula Processional March & Dwarf Nebula” — Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention
Zappa, the avant-rock composer, offered these conjoined pieces on his early album “Weasels Ripped My Flesh,” and the origin of the title remains a complete and total mystery, as there are no lyrics. Later, the astronomical world immortalized the musical iconoclast by having an asteroid named for him: 3834 Zappafrank.
Space.com: Space music playlist
Via Jeremy Hsu