Forty two years before the Space Shuttle dropped to earth for the last time, three men would travel to the moon, set foot there, take a few photos, and inspire the world. To get there, they used the only vehicle that's ever brought humans past low earth orbit, the world-beating Saturn V rocket. Its amazing lift-off was captured from the umbilical tower of the Saturn V launch pad, by a 16mm camera that was running at a whopping – but NASA-normal – 500 frames per second. In the footage, a thirty second launch lasts for eight minutes.
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We thought that a little tribute using that footage, along with some shots of the Apollo missions and the world's reaction – was a fine way to share our feelings on this slightly bittersweet anniversary. Thanks to Motherboard's stellar new video editor Chris O'Coin, Spencer Yeh of Burning Star Core for providing the awesome music, and of course our national space agency.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.