Star Trek fans crushed NASA's space song in poll


NASA is currently running an online poll to let the public choose two wake-up songs to be played to the crew of flight STS-133, due to launch on November 1. In which, Alexander Courage's Star Trek Theme Song is currently leading the way with 400,000 votes.

Voters can choose from 40 tracks played to previous NASA crews, including galactic-themed pop songs like Frank Sinatra's recording of Fly Me To The Moon and Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles.

But the most popular choice so far is unlikely to have appeared in any singles charts.

Alexander Courage's Star Trek Theme Song is currently leading the way with 400,000 votes. Its sci-fi flick rival, Theme From Star Wars Trilogy by John Williams, has just 10,000.



The other most voted-for songs offer a peek into the music taste of space nerds, with Steppenwolf's Magic Carpet Ride and Countdown by Rush coming in at number two and three.

STS-133 will be NASA's 113th space shuttle flight. The crew will travel aboard Discovery to the International Space Station to deliver spare components and install a new module.

Pop music has long been used by NASA as a way to boost morale and keep astronauts plugged into life back on Earth while they're in space.

Sinatra's rendition of Fly Me To The Moon is one of the most regularly played songs. It was taken into space on a special mixtape aboard Apollo 10 in 1969 and again on Apollo 11, the first mission to land on the moon, later that year.

NASA has also used pop songs to mark the progress of missions. On the day Apollo 17 was due to ignite engines and return to Earth, the crew were woken by Light My Fire by The Doors.

As well as letting people choose which songs will be played on flight STS-133, the space agency is calling on songwriters to submit original work for the next flight.

Entrants have until January 10 to submit a song of their creation to be played to the crew of STS-134.

The top entries will then be put to a public vote.

Vote your favorite song, visit here: https://songcontest.nasa.gov/top40.aspx