Jacob Needleman was an observer at the launch of Apollo 17 in 1975, and he describes what every NASA launch experience has been like in the observation area across the water from the launch pad. This one was a night launch, and there were hundreds of cynical reporters all over the lawn, drinking beer, wisecracking, and waiting for this 35-story-high rocket. The countdown came, and then the launch. The first thing you see, according to Needleman, is this extraordinary orange light, which is just at the limit of what you can bear to look at.

"Everything is illuminated with this light. Then comes this thing slowly rising up in total silence, because it takes a few seconds for the sound to come across the water. You hear a WHOOOOOSH! BOOM!' It enters right into you. You can practically hear jaws dropping. The sense of wonder fills everyone in the whole place," says Needleman, "as this thing goes up and up. The first stage ignites this beautiful blue flame. It becomes like a star, but you realize there are humans on it. And then there's total silence. People just get up quietly, helping each other up. They're kind. They open doors. They look at one another, speaking quietly and interestedly. These were suddenly moral people because the sense of wonder, the experience of wonder, had made them moral."

When I think of Joseph and Mary and the things they saw and heard and dreamed. It must have entered right into them. Filled them with awe and wonder.