I was at the first FH launch, at the turn-basin viewing area, because a friend of mine works for NASA and got the good, good, good tickets.<p>I decided to heed the "experience it with your eyes, not through a phone" advice, so the only cameras I set up were fixed on tripods and not guided. I bought a thermal camera some time back, and it dawned on me that I'd never seen civilian thermal video of a launch, so I decided to give it a try:<p><a href="https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/thermal-imaging-gallery/msg1419723/#msg1419723" rel="nofollow">https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/thermal-imagin...</a><p>Apparently I wasn't the only one with that idea -- scroll down two more messages in that thread, and the OTHER civilian thermal video of that very same launch, was shot by another reader of the same forum, a few feet away at the same area!<p>I had another camera facing the crowd, to capture the faces and the oohs and aahs, but the footage sucked. They had speakers set up that pipe in the countdown audio, which is all well and good, but then they made the inane decision to pipe in the sound of SpaceX's own throng cheering, with way too much gain, so it just made the entire audio experience a clipped screaming mess.<p>I stepped away from the speakers to experience the rocket myself, and I'm glad I did.
I was at the first FH launch and ordered the "Feel the heat" tickets. We watched the launch from the Saturn V / Apollo center just across the water from Pad 39A where the launch was. The part that I will never forget is the low rumbling in your chest. You can literally feel it.<p>The sonic booms on takeoff sound like a machine gun about 3-4 octaves too high, and the 6 sonic booms (each Falcon 9 makes 3 sonic booms on re-entry) on landing were really incredible. If you can watch ones of these, do it!
Very good description of what it's like to be there. I was fortunate to witness the launch of Apollo 16 in person as a high school junior in 1972. I'd seen just about all the previous launches on TV but they did not prepare me for actually being there. Even though we were miles away, the size of the rocket was completely outside the boundaries of any vehicle I'd ever seen and, as the OP said, the sound made by those 5 massive engines wasn't so much heard as it was felt in the pit of your stomach. Long after the rocket has disappeared, you still could hear it. It remains the most awesome event I've ever witnessed.
Was able to grab seats in the "Feel The Heat" section for the inaugural Falcon Heavy launch last year - it was incredible! (Olivier: your writeup brought back a ton of memories.)<p>I especially liked this picture I grabbed of someone who had his photo taken in the exact same spot for one of the earlier Apollo launches: <a href="https://imgur.com/a/xAqbTGL" rel="nofollow">https://imgur.com/a/xAqbTGL</a>
The amateur videos are arguably even more fascinating than the official coverage:<p>From a Cessna: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuTAu5VmtFw" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuTAu5VmtFw</a><p>From a Nikon with an awesome view of the separation: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLCXn445-eQ" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLCXn445-eQ</a><p>Great Audio: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lMvLyMjzfM" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lMvLyMjzfM</a>
The booing about the prospect of the delayed launch made me think about the bureaucrats insistence on minimizing (edit: discussion of) launch risks with the space shuttle that lead to the challenger explosion. I empathize with wanting to see it launch, but the first priority is it actually getting to orbit.
Interesting that that low, deep tones were the first the author heard. This is due to sound waves traveling through the ground arriving first. The higher frequencies are attenuated much more. I've always noticed this occurring with on-ground explosions as well.
OT: This is one fast-displaying, well-designed static site blog. Wish there were more like it.<p>Deetails on the First Post page -- Hugo based, Indigo theme (modified):<p><a href="https://olivierforget.net/blog/2019/first-post/" rel="nofollow">https://olivierforget.net/blog/2019/first-post/</a>
That was a great read. Would love to be there some time for an event like that. Still so amazed when I see video of those rockets landing vertically. Great to hear that so many people are still very excited for space exploration!
Great writeup. Reminds me of Penn Jillette's description of watching a space shuttle launch:<p><i>It’s beyond sound, it’s wind. It’s a man-made hurricane. It’s a baseball bat in the chest. It’s so loud. It’s so loud you can’t even call it loud.</i><p><a href="http://symftr.tumblr.com/post/5987695109/nasas-successful-quantifying-of-comedy-timing-by" rel="nofollow">http://symftr.tumblr.com/post/5987695109/nasas-successful-qu...</a>
I saw multiple space shuttle launches in person, and this article captures it pretty well. The visuals are spectacular, but the sound... I thought I knew what to expect but it's just indescribable.<p>If you can go see a launch in person, do it. It's the most amazing thing I've ever witnessed in person.
This was from watching a SpaceX launch last year, fwiw:
<a href="https://medium.com/@chrisvnicholson/we-watched-a-rocket-leave-the-atmosphere-ad4065d82dc2" rel="nofollow">https://medium.com/@chrisvnicholson/we-watched-a-rocket-leav...</a>
This youtube channel[1] has a pretty amazing binaural (immersive) audio recording of the facilities and launch.<p>Liftoff is @ 3:15<p>[1] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImoQqNyRL8Y" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImoQqNyRL8Y</a>
I also saw the first FH launch, but I was at the (free) Playalinda Beach public access area. It's so close (~3.59 miles to 39A) they actually close the beach and move spectators further back. HIGHLY recommended if anyone is looking to see a launch. I've seen other launches from the causeway, but this was closer and had a much better atmosphere - and literally right on the beach, so the kids love it.
i grew up in Daytona Beach and my father would take me to see shuttle launches all the time. The sound is what i remember, you feel it as much as you see it. It's sort of like seeing a top fuel dragster in person, you get a whole new sense of the power unleashed when the peddle is put to the metal.