Mandisa and TobyMac woke up the crew of Artemis II on Monday, day six of the space mission.
The team of four astronauts was awakened to the 2011 song “Good Morning” by Christian recording artists TobyMac and the late Mandisa, who died in April 2024.
In a Facebook post about the news, TobyMac wrote, “Wow, what an honor for me and my friend [Mandisa]. I know she is smiling up there right now!”
According to CCM Magazine, the Artemis II crew were greeted by a playlist of upbeat songs on Monday morning, with other hits from Chappell Roan, CeeLo Green, John Legend, and Andre 3000.
The NASA team’s pilot, Victor Glover, has been open about his Christian faith.
As the ship reached its closest approach to the moon, he told ground control Monday, “As we get close to the nearest point to the moon and farthest point from Earth, as we continue to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos, I would like to remind you of one of the most important mysteries there on Earth, and that’s love.”
“Christ said, in response to what was the greatest command, that it was to love God with all you are,” added Glover. “And He also, being a great teacher, said the second is equal to it. And that is to love your neighbor as yourself.”
TobyMac and Mandisa, it should be noted, have not been the only Christian singers to play a role in this mission.
Christian-country crossover artist Anne Wilson performed the national anthem ahead of the launch:
Wilson described the opportunity as “an incredible honor.”
“This moment feels so full circle for me,” she wrote on Instagram. “There was a time in my life when I dreamed of becoming an astronaut and working for [NASA]. After walking through deep loss in my family, my path changed in ways I never expected. And yet, standing here now, getting to be a small part of something so historic, I’m just overwhelmed by God’s goodness.”
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