With about a million space nerds camped out around Cape Canaveral praying for no rain, the very last space shuttle of NASA's historic Shuttle Program launched into the wild grey yonder this morning (July 8). Atlantis' 33rd mission not only marks the end of an era of space exploration, it also brings to a close NASA's lesser-known wake-up song program.

Since the Apollo Program in 1969, astronauts have regularly been roused from their floaty slumber by a carefully selected song from someone back on Earth (usually the partner or kids of an astronaut on board).

The wake-up song is a perk of the job for astronauts -- a beamed-in slice of home, often alongside a hefty dose of fun. So, Houston, cue the countdown...