Watch a space launch

“At the T-3 minute mark, I joined the photographers and reporters on a nearby hill to await liftoff, but the loudspeakers were silent. We heard no audible countdown [...] but the early evening sky lit up with a brilliant orange light as the nine Rutherford engines of Rocket Lab's Electron ignited [...] We saw the launch first, with the rumble of the Electron's engines reaching us a few seconds later (you can feel it in your chest) as the rocket powered through its ascent.”

“I remember watching Columbia leap off the launchpad while I softly whispered, "Go, go," with tears welling in my eyes. [...] Artemis II's launch was impossibly bright to witness in person. Still images or video simply do not capture the sheer brilliance and intensity of the Space Launch System's ignition and liftoff. Seeing the brilliant white-orange plume concentrate beneath the rocket was like looking at the sun itself, and it appeared much more dazzling than any space shuttle launch I ever witnessed. You don't simply watch the mighty rocket rise — you feel it, shaking the ground beneath you, its powerful, staccato thumping reverberating through your chest.”

“There's something so surreal about watching a launch. I saw a few shuttle launches, one landing, and the last night launch. The night launch was definitely one of the top 5 most memorable experiences of my life. Paid like 150 bucks to go on a private bus tour 6 miles from the launchpad. First night it was cancelled and had to pay another 50 bucks. But luckily the the second try was a go.”