Photo by Stephanie Cousin

Tucson’s Calexico have friends in high places… in more ways than one. They count fellow local Gabrielle Giffords, a.k.a. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, as one of their many fans. Big deal, right? Well not when Giffords is married to Shuttle Commander Mark Kelly, who happens to be on a mission to the International Space Station. Family and friends of the astronauts have the privilege of picking the shuttle’s wake up call music. Back in 2006, Giffords chose “Beautiful Day” by U2 to rouse her fiancé from sleep on a mission, but this time around she chose Calexico’s “Crystal Frontier,” a fast-paced mariachi-infused gem from album Even My Sure Things Fall Through. Her other pick was “Reveille,” the old fashioned military bugle version, a reminder of Kelly’s early mornings at the Merchant Marine Academy.

Here’s the mission update for the morning as read on www.space.com/spaceshuttle.

Shuttle Crew Set for Orbital Day Off
12 June 2008 4:00 a.m. EDT

HOUSTON — The seven astronauts aboard the shuttle Discovery are up and eager a few hours to themselves today as they prepare for a Saturday landing.
NASA’s Mission Control here at the Johnson Space Center roused the astronauts at 3:32 a.m. EDT (0732 GMT) with the song “Crystal Frontier” by the band Calexico, a tune chosen for shuttle commander Mark Kelly by his wife Gabrielle Giffords, a U.S. Congresswoman from Arizona, and his two daughters.

“Good morning, and it’s a very good morning in space,” Kelly radioed Mission Control. “I’d like to thank my wonderful wife Gabriele and kids Bonnie and Claire.”

Today is Flight Day 13 of Discovery’s planned 14-day mission to deliver Japan’s Kibo lab and a new astronaut to the International Space Station.

And since you will surely want to witness that wake-up call, you can see it along with other highlights at www.nasa.gov. Click on “Watch NASA TV Live” and let those buttons bust as your chest swells with local music pride.