This piece of raw film came from the the 16mm Camera E-8, running at 500 frames per second and sitting on the umbilical tower of the Saturn V launch pad as it lifts off. The rocket – the largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever brought to operational status (well, perhaps Russia’s short-lived Energia had more thrust) – was carrying Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and ‘Buzz’ Aldrin inside Apollo 11. They launched on July 16, 1969 and four days later would become the first humans to land on the moon. The video, narrated by Mark Grey of Spacecraft Films, is pretty incredible.

See another multi-camera view of Apollo 11’s launch, read more at Wikipedia. And for another take on a rocket launch, see Motherboard’s visit to Cape Canaveral and environs to witness the last night lift-off of Space Shuttle Endeavor.

via Kotke