Astronaut Status is the ninth mixtape by American rapper Future. It was released on January 12, 2012.[1] The album features guest appearances from rappers Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy, Ludacris and Rocko.[2] Future previously stated Streetz Calling would be his last mixtape, before his debut full-length album Pluto, but instead released Astronaut Status in 2012, making it his last official mixtape.[1][3] "Itchin'" peaked at #2 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Since the release of Astronaut Status, it has been downloaded over 250k times on DatPiff, certifying it platinum. Astronaut Status also charted at #50 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart.
Pitchfork's Jordan Sargent called Astronaut Status "Future's strongest, most listenable mixtape yet ... [though] in the murky waters of pop-rap hitmaking, it's hard to tell if anything on Astronaut Status stands up to the songs that helped Future ascend to this status in the first place."[4] Adam Fleischer of XXL wrote that "Future often relies on his materialistic musings to carry Astronaut Status", and his attempts to stray from that formula are inconsistent. Fleischer added: "It's apparent that Future knows the components of a catchy street chant, it's just a matter of whether or not he can deliver every time."[5] The mixtape ranked 13th on Stereogum's list of the top 40 rap albums of 2012. Tom Breihan said the mixtape contains "some of rap's catchiest mantras of the year."[6]