Soundtracking NASA's new Constellation Program: Great Space Songs You Haven't Heard a Million Times, Part 2

The chugging, power-chord guitars and mix of live and electronic drums in this song give it a rocket-like propulsion Some songs are perfect for jogging or driving—this one's as good as it gets for broken-hearted planet hopping in a space fighter. 

This British instrumental is possibly the first hit song ever inspired by space rockets and satellites. It was named after AT&T communications satellite Telstar, which was went into orbit in July 1962. Hearing "Telstar" back then must have been like looking into a crystal ball and foreseeing all the later Pixies albums. I've never heard him say so, but I'd guess this tune was a pretty huge inspiration for Frank Black at some point, probably right before Bossa Nova and Trompe Le Monde.

Sonically, "Alec Eiffel" might've made a better argument for my above point about the connection between "Telstar" and the Pixies, but my favorite Pixies space tune is definitely "Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons." As most space enthusiasts know, at 88,600 feet, Mars' Olympus Mons is the tallest known volcano and mountain in our solar system. Leave it to the Pixies to write a song about being a bird and sleeping inside of that shit.