Christina Koch Reveals What Really Happened on 'Pink Pony Club Morning'

Even 250,000 miles away from Earth, you can’t escape the reach of a viral pop anthem. NASA astronaut Christina Koch recently took to social media to reveal the "cruel" reality of what happened during one of the most anticipated wake-up calls of the Artemis II mission: "Pink Pony Club Morning."

For decades, NASA has maintained a tradition of playing music to wake up crews in orbit. While the songs are usually a bridge between the stars and home, Koch revealed that sometimes, Mission Control likes to have a little fun at the crew’s expense.

"Where’s the Chorus?!"

In a newly released video from the mission, the opening notes of Chappell Roan’s "Pink Pony Club" are heard blasting through the capsule. As Koch and the crew began to sing along, the audio suddenly cut to silence the second the chorus was supposed to hit.

"Wait, where's the chorus?! NO. Call them! That is cruel," Koch joked in the footage, clearly ready for the high-energy payoff of the track. Fellow astronaut Reid Wiseman added to the sentiment, noting that the entire crew was "eagerly awaiting the chorus" before Mission Control chimed in to laugh and say they’d "try again next time."

A Family-Powered Playlist

While the moment was lighthearted, Koch emphasized that the music serves a deeper purpose during long-duration spaceflight. According to Koch, most of the song ideas for the mission didn't come from NASA flight directors, but from the families of the astronauts.

"A couple crew’s daughters, nieces, and nephews were behind this one," Koch shared. "Unanimously, things that made us feel connected to our loved ones were the best part of our mission."

Despite the technical "glitch" from Houston, Koch admitted that the song didn't stop playing just because the official feed did. "Pink Pony Club was sang onboard (poorly, in my case!) the rest of the day. Especially the chorus," she added.