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Chappell Roan's 'Pink Pony Club' Interrupted During NASA Artemis II Wakeup Call
NASA flight controllers played Chappell Roan's 'Pink Pony Club' to wake the Artemis II crew on April 4, but the track cut off after one minute. The mission, launched on April 2, involves four astronauts orbiting the moon. The crew is scheduled to view the far side of the moon on April 6.
Apr 4, 6:42 PM·2m read1 source
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NASA flight controllers played Chappell Roan's 'Pink Pony Club' as a wakeup call for the astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II mission on April 4. The track, a 2023 pop song, was broadcast during a livestream of the mission but stopped after approximately one minute.
Artemis II is a crewed mission orbiting the moon, marking the first such flight since the Apollo program. The crew departed Earth's orbit on April 2. Commander Reid Wiseman commented on the interruption, stating that the team had been awaiting the chorus, which drew laughter from mission control.
The Capsule Communicator responded by promising to try again next time and provided the day's schedule.
The Artemis II crew includes Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. EDT on April 1. The astronauts are conducting tests of the Orion spacecraft's systems during a 10-day flight.
On April 6, during a six-hour period, the crew will observe the far side of the moon, which is not visible from Earth. The alignment of the sun, moon, and Orion will allow visibility of about 20% of the far side, illuminated by sunlight, according to NASA.
This mission serves as a precursor to future lunar landings under the Artemis program, aimed at returning humans to the moon and preparing for Mars exploration.
The use of Roan's song follows an earlier incident involving the singer in Brazil. On March 21, soccer player Jorginho Frello reported that his 11-year-old daughter cried after an encounter with one of Roan's bodyguards at a hotel. Bodyguard Pascal Duvier stated on March 25 via Instagram that he was not part of Roan's team and took full responsibility for the event.
Roan, who performed at Lollapalooza Brazil, addressed the matter in a video posted on March 22. She explained that the guard was not her personal security and that she did not witness the interaction with the woman and child.
