When watching it at night it's a lot dimmer (and orange) compared to the space shuttle, and it doesn't take off as quickly as the Ares did, but, it was still a welcome sight to see go up.


"On Tuesday, May 22, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule on a demonstration flight towards the International Space Station. The launch occurred at 3:44 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

During the flight, the Dragon capsule will conduct a series of check-out procedures to test and prove its systems, including the capability to rendezvous and berth with the space station. Planned evaluations include a flyby of the station at a distance of approximately 1.5 miles to validate the operation of sensors and flight systems necessary for a safe rendezvous and approach. The spacecraft also will demonstrate the ability to abort the rendezvous. Once Dragon successfully proves these capabilities, it will be cleared to berth with the space station."