No matter how many times you've seen a Shuttle launch on TV, you are not prepared for the

event in person. This was made even better by being surrounded by fans and enthusiasts of

the US Space program. The only other experience I've had that came close was being at the

Olympics in 2000. But this was more intense, because while I enjoy the Olympics, I dream about space travel.

Crowd gathering at Kennedy Space Center before dawn

We arrived at Kennedy Space Center at 3:30am, our scheduled entry time. And set up chairs

and blankets amongst a sea of people, finding a space deep in the crowd. Imagine Woodstock

for science buffs, and you are getting the picture.

Kennedy Space Center in the early morning light

From the Kennedy Space Center you can't see the pad directly, as there are a row of trees

in the way. You can however see where the Shuttle would be coming up. As the clouds came in

and out you got a nice bat signal effect.

Kennedy Space Center sign at dusk with shuttle silhouette against twilight sky

As dawn broke, most of the planets were visible, as they are all hanging out in the morning

sky. You can see Venus right over the sign, and Jupiter higher up. I also finally saw

Mercury naked eye for the first time, which our horizon up here makes difficult.

Large crowd of spectators on the lawn at Kennedy Space Center waiting for the shuttle launch at dawn, with rocket exhibit visible overhead

The crowd was ready as the sun came up, but we still had hours of wait time at this point.

We passed the time by going on the Shuttle Experience, which was a really great simulation.

Kennedy Space Center sign silhouetted at sunset with a large screen showing the shuttle on the launch pad

As the clock kept moving forward, our MCs for the day kept saying things were looking better

and better for launch. But then again, launches have been scrubbed with 3 seconds to go.

When we came out of the scheduled hold and started from T - 9:00 (where there are no more

scheduled holds) the crowd all leaped to their feet. The energy was amazing. Once we passed

T - 5:00 I started recording, so here is the crowd and launch from my perspective:

The launch happens at 4:30 and you can hear the rumble at about 5:30 (remember the speed of

sound is much slower than the speed of light). Even in its brief visibility, it was amazing.

The moment I first saw that jet come above the trees I was brought to tears. We humans can

do amazing, incredible things, when we bring our collective will together.