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Countdown Resumed

Then Launch Control
announced that things were
improving and the countdown
would be resumed in about seven
minutes. The weather looked so
bad no one believed it, but went
ahead and prepared for it anyway.
When the countdown resumed the
press corps cheered.

Launch Control now reported
every minute, then every 30
seconds, then through the last
minute. White smoke started
coming out of the side of the
rocket, the red lower moved away.
The rocket stood gleaming white
against the background of a black
sky.

With a minute left to go it
started raining hard. There had
been occasional light sprinkles
before, but as lift-off approached
the rain came down in torrents.

—Judgement Day? The Great
Flood? The Tower of Babel?

With ten seconds left the muggy
air became charged with the tension
felt by the spectators. No one made
a sound. Standing back in the
grandstand a radio announcer
reported the last final moments
before lift-off.

Then the lift-off. Great
billowing clouds of yellow-orange
fire surrounded the rocket which
quivered, and then given life, roared
and began slowly to move upward.
The great white clouds of smoke
became dark and silhouetted the
orange fire from the rocket. The
press corps applauded, standing
motionless and smiling.