Shot from the NASA press site using a Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1K HD DSLR. Stereo audio tracks are Left = natural sound at press site. Right = NASA audio feed for press and public. At end of clip I cut briefly to NASA video.

I was one of 150 people selected out of 2,700 applications to attended the NASA TweetUp for the originally scheduled launch on November 1, 2011. After several scrubs for technical issues, shuttle was delayed several times until this date.

Sound is like thunder rolling towards you from a distant hill and not stopping. The ground shakes, your clothes vibrate from the sound waves, and your whole body shakes. Remember the bass drum in a parade when you were a little kid? You feel the sound almost more than hearing it as it envelopes you. I have never heard a louder sound. It lasts for more than a minute. The rocket is as bright as staring directly at the sun. Absolutely a lifetime awesome experience.