Very early on the morning of November 16th, I stood with my camera waiting once again for this rocket to go. This was my second trip to Florida to see this launch. Back in August the first expedition was thwarted by the tiny hydrogen molecule and its unwillingness to behave under unbelievable cryogenic conditions. Now, with the hydrogen loading process mostly subdued, we waited as the launch window opened at 1:04AM. The final challenge came not from the SLS, but from an Ethernet switch. The countdown halted at T-10:00 minutes and we waiting for the range clear announcement. About thirty minutes late, the countdown resumed.
I’d managed to score a ticket to view the launch from the Apollo/Saturn Ⅴ Center, just 2.7 miles from Launch Complex 39B with a clear line of site over the water.
My gear: Canon R5 with RF 100-500mm lens poised in PMG Katana Jr Gimbal on SmallRig Selection 78 tripod. Attached to the camera was my DJI Osmo Pocket to catch some static video and sound of the launch.
