Countdown (Rush song)
Encyclopedia
"Countdown" is a Rush
song that describes the launch of STS-1
and the Space Shuttle Columbia
as the group watched from a VIP area called Red Sector A
at the time. The song incorporates audio from voice communications between astronauts John W. Young and Robert Crippen
and ground control along with commentary from the Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs Officer leading up to the launch.
The song incorporates foreboding serious tone with driving rhythm along with heavy amount of synthesizer
, with Lee playing only a minimal amount of bass guitar
. Lyrics paint a vivid account of their experiences witnessing the launch. It closes the album Signals, and its cautionary tales of man's reliance on technology, on a more positive, celebratory note.
The song was used as a wakeup song for astronauts during STS-109
, which was the last successful flight of Space Shuttle Columbia. It was used again for astronaut Mike Fincke during STS-134
, flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour on its final mission before retirement. Fincke described how his friends Greg Shurtz and NASA employee Ken Fisher chose the song because the band was inspired to write it after viewing the launch of STS-1. Fincke went on to say the song was played as a tribute to the space shuttle program, which has inspired people around the world.
This song, as printed in the liner notes of the Signals album, is dedicated to "the astronauts Young & Crippen and all the people of NASA for their inspiration and cooperation."
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
song that describes the launch of STS-1
STS-1
STS-1 was the first orbital flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program. Space Shuttle Columbia launched on 12 April 1981, and returned to Earth on 14 April, having orbited the Earth 37 times during the 54.5-hour mission. It was the first American manned space flight since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project...
and the Space Shuttle Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy Space Shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. First launched on the STS-1 mission, the first of the Space Shuttle program, it completed 27 missions before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 near the end of its 28th, STS-107. All seven crew...
as the group watched from a VIP area called Red Sector A
Red Sector A
"Red Sector A" is a song by Rush that provides a first-person account of a nameless protagonist living in an unspecified prison camp setting. "Red Sector A" first appeared on the band's 1984 album Grace Under Pressure....
at the time. The song incorporates audio from voice communications between astronauts John W. Young and Robert Crippen
Robert Crippen
Robert Laurel Crippen is an engineer, retired United States Navy Captain and a former NASA astronaut. He flew on four Space Shuttle missions, including three as commander...
and ground control along with commentary from the Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs Officer leading up to the launch.
The song incorporates foreboding serious tone with driving rhythm along with heavy amount of synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, with Lee playing only a minimal amount of bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. Lyrics paint a vivid account of their experiences witnessing the launch. It closes the album Signals, and its cautionary tales of man's reliance on technology, on a more positive, celebratory note.
The song was used as a wakeup song for astronauts during STS-109
STS-109
STS-109 was a Space Shuttle mission that launched from the Kennedy Space Center on 1 March 2002. It was the 108th mission of the Space Shuttle program, the 27th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the fourth servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope...
, which was the last successful flight of Space Shuttle Columbia. It was used again for astronaut Mike Fincke during STS-134
STS-134
STS-134 was the penultimate mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program. The mission marked the 25th and final flight of . This flight delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier to the International Space Station. Mark Kelly served as the mission commander...
, flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour on its final mission before retirement. Fincke described how his friends Greg Shurtz and NASA employee Ken Fisher chose the song because the band was inspired to write it after viewing the launch of STS-1. Fincke went on to say the song was played as a tribute to the space shuttle program, which has inspired people around the world.
This song, as printed in the liner notes of the Signals album, is dedicated to "the astronauts Young & Crippen and all the people of NASA for their inspiration and cooperation."