NASA lets public choose final shuttle wakeup songs

The American public will choose songs used to wake up the astronauts on the last two space shuttle missions.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Space fans can choose from previously played songs for STS-133
• The crew of the last shuttle mission, STS-134, will hear two original space songs
• NASA's song contest website is at songcontest.nasa.gov

The American public will choose songs used to wake up the astronauts when the last two space shuttle missions orbit Earth, NASA said.

"It's going to be a difficult choice, because there have been so many great songs played over the years," STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey is quoted in NASA's contest announcement.

Clever song selection has been a tradition for the space agency dating back to its early days, but usually families and

friends of crew members have chosen them.

For example, the Apollo 10 mission, which was a dress rehearsal for the moon landing in 1969, was appropriately treated to Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon."

That song is on a list of 40 previously played songs space fans can choose from at NASA's "Wakeup Song Contest" website (songcontest.nasa.gov). The two songs with the most votes will be played for STS 133, which is expected to launch in November.

Voters can also submit an original song with a space theme, NASA said. Two of those tunes, which must be submitted online by January 10, will later be voted on by the public.

The top two will be played for the final shuttle mission -- STS 134 -- which is targeted for a February 26 launch, NASA said.

Mark Kelly, who will command STS-134, said shuttle crew members enjoy the wakeup music.

"While we don't have the best quality speaker in the space shuttle, it will be interesting to hear what the public comes up with," Kelly said.