Video Mondays: NASA Launches Artemis 1 (SLS/Orion)

If all went well NASA should have launched the Artemis 1 (SLS/Orion) space vehicle today, August 29th. The LIVE stream should begin at 3:30 AM (PST). [Click the video for a link to the LIVE stream]. It’s been a long time to get to this first flight of the SLS vehicle with the unmanned Orion capsule. I was there eight-years ago, on December 5, 2014, at the Kennedy Space Center to watch the launch of the Orion capsule for EFT1 (Exploration Flight Test 1) aboard the Delta IV Heavy. That was the first flight (also unmanned) of the Orion capsule.

I was part of a group of Space Enthusiasts invited to spend a couple days at KSC to speak with NASA officials, get some behind the scenes tours and watch the launch itself. It was part of a program called a NASA Social where NASA gave access to the launch to promote the program via this small army of enthusiasts eager to share online what we were witnessing.

After moving to Florida in 2008 I tried to attend all of the remaining Space Shuttle launches and was lucky enough to see a few as close as the public was permitted to view NASA launches. What I experienced in 2014 was one of the most amazing launches that I was lucky enough to witness. I was left wondering how amazing witnessing one of the Saturn V launches must have been. Those lucky enough to see today’s launch from KSC will probably have incredible footage to share. I would love to be there for the next two Artemis launches (not set to happen until 2024 and 2025 at the earliest…).

Here’s the video that I shot of the launch of EFT1 (Orion/Delta IV Heavy) on December 5, 2014, followed by images also from that launch. Enjoy.