NASA astronaut and Canadian Drew Feustel teamed up with Canada’s iconic rock band The Tragically Hip to record a song while orbiting Earth.
The U.S.-born astronaut, and a longtime friend of the Kingston rockers, worked with the Hip’s bassist Gord Sinclair to write, record and perform the song All Around the World.
“While in orbit, Drew wrote, performed and recorded a song with Gord Sinclair, reflecting on his unique experience off planet,” the Hip said on social media.
The nearly seven-minute music video was published on NASA’s YouTube page on Sept. 30 and has over 37,000 views.
“Drew thanks all who helped bring this to life, including his friend, Gord Sinclair, for giving him permission to use the song, and the crew of Expeditions 55 and 56 for their support and participation in NASA’s human space exploration mission,” reads the video’s description.
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Feustel, who has been in command of the International Space Station, is scheduled to return to Earth on Thursday after completing a 197-day mission, spanning 3,152 orbits of Earth, NASA said.
Feustel, a Lake Orion native, moved to Kingston in the 1990s to complete a PhD in geological sciences at Queen’s University. The astronaut married an Ontario resident and obtained his Canadian citizenship while studying at Queen’s.
According to the university, Feustel was first interested in space exploration after watching the Canadian Space Agency’s astronaut search in 1992. Feustel, along with his wife Indira, and two children moved to Houston to pursue his career. While in Texas, Feustel reached out to fellow Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield about pursuing a career in space, according to Queen’s. Feustel became a NASA astronaut 2000.
Feustel and his family are still deeply connected to Kingston, the birthplace of this two children and The Tragically Hip.
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The band has long been supportive of their friend, sharing tidbits of Feustel’s space missions on the Hip’s social media channels.
NASA has a longstanding tradition of playing “wake-up” music for astronauts onboard space missions. The songs are usually requested by friends and family of each astronaut. In 2011, Feustel awoke to The Tragically Hip’s In View while onboard the shuttle Endeavour.
When the Hip’s frontman, Gord Downie, died of cancer last October, Feustel said the band inspired him from the beginning.
“RIP Gord. You are the voice for the band that has inspired me from the moment I heard the first note…I hear you every day!” Feustel said on social media.