185. [Apollo 9] THE MAJESTIC LIFTOFF OF THE GIANT SATURN V ROCKET NASA, 3 March 1969 Printed 1969. Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image S-69-25863]. With "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA Kennedy Space Centre, Florida). 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.) Historical context This dramatic photograph captures the liftoff of Apollo 9 on March 3, 1969, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Centre, marking Apollo's final phase before the Moon, with all components tested in space for the first time including a critical test of the Lunar Module. Towering over the launch pad, the mighty Saturn V rocket propels the crew—James McDivitt, David Scott, and Rusty Schweickart—into Earth orbit. The powerful engines unleash a fiery blast, sending plumes of smoke billowing across the launch site, while startled birds take flight, adding a striking contrast between nature and human technological achievement. "All the preparation, all the simulations, all the reviews are now behind. The day has finally come. It's countdown time. You hear and feel the power of these engines. And then you start slowly up, not with a rush, but majestically, almost defiantly. The ingenuity and determination of technology in breaking another barrier _gravity_ are manifest, with you as the ultimate witness." —Russell Schweickart (Kelley, preface)