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Country Star Drifts Into Space Thanks to NASA Artemis II Wake-up Playlist
On April 1, the entire world turned their attention to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida as NASA prepared to launch four astronauts to the moon. Although the astronauts won’t be walking on the surface of the moon, it marked the first time in more than five decades that NASA has attempted such a feat. With the crew already making it around the moon, NASA celebrated the moment by revealing the list of songs they play to wake up the astronauts. And it appears that country singer Charley Crockett found himself taking a trip to space thanks to “Lonesome Drifter.”
Videos by American Songwriter
For a total of 10 days, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen traveled further than any humans in history. They also saw a side of the moon never viewed by human eyes before. Nothing short of a monumental moment for humanity, NASA offered a list of nine songs to help the crew start their day.
While stars like Chappell Roan, John Legend, Queen, and David Bowie made the list, the final spot was reserved for Crockett. In March 2025, he released the album Lonesome Drifter. Just the first release in a trilogy the singer announced, it featured music composed by both Crockett and Shooter Jennings. Excited about the moment, he shared an image of the song on his Instagram.
Charley Crockett Finds New Fans In Space
The music video for “Lonesome Drifter” has gained nearly 600,000 views on YouTube since its release. But that number is sure to climb as comments revealed how many people were just learning about Crockett’s music.
“See you later space cowboy.”
“Let’s go, crew!!”
“Shoutout from up above! (Artemis II)”
“Hell yeah for Artemis II.”
“Nice choice from the Artemis crew!”
Aside from those just discovering his music, some considered him the reason Americana and country continue to evolve. “He’s from a different time. Enormous talent. The world needs this man. No AI or algorithm can come close to this. Let’s enjoy while we can.”
Most singers hope to win a Grammy or land No. 1 on the charts, but for Crockett – he proved that his music can travel far beyond the Earth. With space exploration taking center stage, Crockett’s inclusion showed that even in humanity’s biggest scientific moments, there’s still room for a good country song.
(Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
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