Nasa's Artemis II mission thundered away from Florida's coast, taking its four crew members on their historic journey to circle the Moon.
There was a deep rumbling as a sheet of brilliant white flame suddenly erupted, momentarily engulfing the whole launch pad as the mightiest rocket Nasa has ever built rose into the sky.
Nasa's Space Launch System (SLS) majestically crept upwards - slow at first, then gathering pace, riding on two blinding pillars of flame that crackled and roared with increasing volume until the rumbling was almost deafening, a sound we could feel in our bodies as we watched on in amazement, three miles (4.8km) away from the launch pad.
There were small cheers from those in the know as the rocket past the moment of maximum danger - one minute and 10 seconds into the launch. This is where the pressure hits the rocket the hardest.
There was no weakness, and SLS arced out over the Atlantic like a fiery white angel, leaving a white smoky trail as the sound subsided and the spacecraft disappeared from view, shrinking to a single bright star as it chased the Moon.
Afterwards, there was a giddy euphoria among staff at the Kennedy Space Center.
One person told me they felt quite emotional and another said they wanted to cry – a release of tension built up over the past few months when Artemis II came close to launch but ended up being scrubbed for various reasons. Tonight, though, Nasa employees were laughing and clapping - this is the moment that they have spent years working towards.
In the hour before take-off, there were issues which threatened the launch.
They concerned the launch abort system, which enables Nasa engineers to eject the astronauts and blow up the rocket if there is a malfunction.
The countdown clock was held at 10 minutes while engineers resolved the problem. Then came the rhythm of the calls by each engineer responsible for the rocket's critical systems: booster, go, GNC, go, range, go.
Artemis II, this is launch director, said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the first woman to hold the position at Nasa. You are go for launch, she told the crew. We go for all humanity, Commander Reid Wiseman responded.
The Kennedy Space Center was built to send astronauts to the Moon, and today it was back in business, doing what it was made for.
The four RS 25 engines and twin solid rocket boosters lit up, driving more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust into the Florida evening sky. God Speed Artemis II Blackwell-Thompson said in a throwback to past launches.
Those present felt not just awe for the launch, but also pride for the potential of humanity.
