Before she even pierced the atmosphere on her way to the International Space Station (ISS), French astronaut Sophie Adenot took care of something deeply personal: the soundtrack she would live with.
Amid orbital calculations, emergency drills and weightless training sessions, Adenot still carved out time to build a full playlist for her first long stay in space, created in partnership with a music-streaming platform. The result offers a rare glimpse of the human side of a space mission-how mood, memory and motivation are managed alongside checklists and procedures.
Sophie Adenot’s “Dream Astro” playlist for a nine-month mission
As the first French woman set to undertake a long-duration mission aboard the ISS, Sophie Adenot is heading into roughly nine months in orbit with a digital companion: a playlist called Dream Astro. The selection contains 43 tracks and will be updated throughout the Epsilon mission.
This is not merely background listening to fill quiet hours between experiments and station maintenance. The track list is designed to shape the emotional tone of each stage of the journey-from the trip out to the rocket to the hushed moments in microgravity, watching Earth through a porthole.
A spaceflight soundtrack can act like an emotional logbook, capturing how someone feels while they are in orbit.
Three songs for the ride to the rocket
Each crew member is allowed to pick three songs for the bus journey that takes the team to the launch site. For many astronauts, it is one of the most nerve-racking rides of their professional lives. For Adenot, it is also a moment to centre herself and mark what the day represents.
Her three choices serve distinct purposes:
- Happy, by Pharrell Williams - an anthem that reflects her upbeat outlook;
- I’m Good (Blue), by David Guetta and Bebe Rexha - a jolt of late-night energy ahead of lift-off;
- Valhalla Calling, in the Miracle of Sound version featuring Peyton Parrish - a Viking-tinged “call to adventure”.
Adenot has explained that the Nordic-inspired track has become close to a ritual. It was used as the opening music for training sessions for spacewalks, also known as extravehicular activities (EVAs). The sense of epic combat fits the idea of leaving the station’s relative safety to face the vacuum outside.
With “Valhalla” in her headphones, each spacewalk simulation begins as if a message has been delivered: the real adventure starts now.
Pop, divas and French ballads in orbit
Beyond the launch-day trio, Dream Astro reveals wide-ranging tastes, mixing international chart staples with French favourites and a few left-field choices.
Among the artists included are:
- Pharrell Williams, with bright, sunlit pop;
- Lady Gaga, in songs that carry a strong emotional punch;
- Aya Nakamura, a major figure in contemporary Francophone pop and R&B;
- Céline Dion, whose ballads many French listeners can sing word for word.
The curation bridges global pop culture and a distinctly French emotional repertoire. The presence of “sing-along” songs is deliberate rather than random: astronauts often say that spontaneous, low-stakes karaoke moments can take the edge off homesickness and help a crew decompress.
One practical reason music matters in a multi-national station environment is that it can also become a shared social tool. Trading tracks between crewmates-sometimes across languages-helps build rapport, especially during the early weeks when routines are still settling and everyone is learning each other’s working styles.
Christophe Maé, Taylor Swift-and that Viking edge
Elsewhere in the selection, the range spans generations and genres: Christophe Maé, a popular French singer; Taylor Swift, a global pop heavyweight; and the Viking soundscape most strongly associated with “Valhalla Calling”.
Put together, the choices follow an interesting logic: comfort music that feels like home sits alongside tracks that could score an adventure film. Both make sense in orbit, where highly technical operations and deeply private moments exist side by side.
| Mission moment | Type of music | Emotional purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Journey to the rocket | High-energy pop and epic tracks | Boost focus and courage |
| Flight hours en route to the ISS | Pop, electronic, ballads | Pass the time and lower stress |
| Quiet nights in orbit | Affectionate, introspective songs | Ease homesickness |
Music as a psychological tool on space missions
Adenot’s playlist is not an isolated whim. Space agencies increasingly treat music as a psychological resource for coping with confinement, strict routines and extreme isolation.
On the ISS, astronauts often spend six months or more inside a closed environment with limited private space. Headphones and personal playlists provide small pockets of privacy. Music becomes a kind of “mental doorway”, allowing someone to feel elsewhere even while their body floats around 400 kilometres above Earth.
In microgravity, a single song can instantly unlock memories of childhood, family, or past trips back on Earth.
Flight programmes also have a tradition of musical wake-ups-so-called wake-up calls-which were once chosen by families or mission teams on the ground. Now, with streaming platforms, each astronaut can carry an entire musical world with them and tailor it day by day.
Deezer’s role in the Epsilon mission
The partnership with Deezer gives Dream Astro an official public platform. Deezer hosts the playlist and has said it will track the Epsilon mission by updating the selection over the months.
That approach creates an unusual connection: people on Earth-whether they follow space science closely or are simply curious-can listen to the same tracks that accompany an astronaut’s daily routine in orbit. The mission gains a cultural layer, linking advanced research with familiar habits such as listening to music on the bus or during a workout.
Why musical variety matters in orbit
The stylistic spread in Sophie Adenot’s playlist answers different needs at different points in a long stay. A few scenarios make that strategy easier to see:
- Demanding experiment days: faster, more energetic tracks can help sustain momentum during repetitive, technical tasks.
- Looking out through the window: ballads or airy, atmospheric songs suit the sight of a brightly lit Earth.
- Special dates, such as birthdays: songs tied to family memories can strengthen emotional bonds across hundreds of kilometres.
- Mental fatigue: well-known “by-heart” favourites can provide near-instant comfort with minimal effort.
Switching between moods prevents the soundtrack from feeling flat and allows music to follow both the operational tempo of the ISS and the emotional ups and downs of a long deployment.
Terms, risks and future possibilities
A few concepts around Adenot’s experience are worth clarifying. Epsilon mission is the name chosen for her long-duration flight to the ISS, following a European tradition of naming missions with Greek letters or symbolic references. An extravehicular activity (EVA)-a spacewalk-is any work carried out outside the station in a pressurised suit, whether for maintenance, installing hardware or conducting tests.
Looking ahead to even longer journeys, including future missions to Mars, psychological wellbeing may become as critical as propulsion technology. Playlists could develop additional roles: music-led relaxation protocols, tracks earmarked for periods of elevated risk, or even compositions designed specifically for microgravity-exploring how sound and attention behave when familiar sensory cues are reduced.
There are also subtle downsides to heavy headphone use: withdrawing from crewmates within an already isolated environment, slower responses in situations where rapid communication matters, and distraction during safety-critical work. Medical and psychological teams need to balance these factors, setting clear rules about when and where music can accompany tasks in orbit.
Even so, Adenot’s approach points to tangible benefits. A playlist can sharpen focus, lower tension and preserve a sense of personal identity inside a highly standardised setting. Between protocols, checklists and experiments, a handful of tracks by Pharrell Williams, Lady Gaga, Aya Nakamura, Céline Dion-plus a dash of Vikings-helps underline a simple truth: behind the visor is a person doing their best to stay human while circling the Earth.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Leave a Comment