"I was standing about 25 feet away from the launch. As I heard the zero the launch pad seemed to explode into a firey inferno; the light, heat and noise given off by the flashpan alone were imense. A split second after ignition, with a huge roar the Chris I shot straight off the pad. To my shame I could not actually believe it. I think it was actually only at the point of launch, when I saw the flash go off that I actually had no expectation of the rocket doing what it actually did. The flight was awe-inspiring and the Chris I sped straight up trailng a massive and I mean massive bright cone of flame into the twilight. The retro firing was clearly visible and around this time, probably some 8 seconds after lift-off, I regained control of myself and ran to grab a camcorder to track the landing. I shall never forget the Chris I, may it's memory live forever."

Range Safety Officer

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