I've witnessed nearly 100 rocket launches. Artemis II was like nothing I've ever experienced.

NASA's SLS rocket takes off for the moon with four brave humans aboard. (Image credit: Roger Guillemette) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Freelance space writer Roger Guillemette has witnessed close to 100 rocket launches since 1975. On Wednesday (April 1), he was on the ground at NASA 's Kennedy Space Center, reporting live on the Artemis II moon launch for Live Science . Here's what he saw at the historic liftoff: There was palpable excitement at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) press site for the Artemis II launch, unlike anything I've experienced in my many years of reporting on human spaceflight from this iconic location. Journalists from all over the world — both grizzled veterans and wide-eyed newcomers — were positively giddy about witnessing astronauts returning to the moon after so many decades. Bright television lights glowed atop the news organization trailers along "media row" as the major networks assembled their A-teams to cover the landmark event. Morning and evening national newscasts originated from KSC, with the Vehicle Assembly Building's huge American flag and NASA "meatball" logo (first unveiled in 1959) serving as a dramatic backdrop. What was old suddenly felt new again. Those of us on the older end of the age spectrum have fuzzy, fading memories of the Apollo era. For me, the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission in July 1969 filled the week of my 10th birthday; a few years later, in December 1972, a buddy and I "camped out" in his finished basement, watching color (!) television until after midnight to see Apollo 17 light up the heavens over Florida's Space Coast on what would be the final crewed voyage to the moon for 50 years and counting. You don't simply watch the mighty rocket rise — you feel it, shaking the ground beneath you, its powerful, staccato thumping reverberating through your chest. After those heady years of the "moon race," the closest experience to Artemis II for me was the first flight of the space shuttle Columbia, STS-1, in April 1981. As a college senior, I stood just a few hundred yards from the spot where I watched Artemis II, witnessing a brand-new, never-flown space plane soar skyward into the dawn. I remember watching Columbia leap off the launchpad while I softly whispered, "Go, go," with tears welling in my eyes. I found myself u