Echo 1 was a Mylar balloon satellite launched in 1960 that was visible from the earth. At night, we’d rush outside at the time printed in the paper and watch it go by.
During the Mercury launches 1961-1963, we sat in the classroom clustered around a transistor radio.
For Gemini launches in 1965 1nd 1966, someone brought a 45 pound “portable” black and white television into the classroom.
For the Apollo Missions, especially Apollo 11, we watched from home on console TVs with a 17 inch color cathode ray tube screen.
I lived in Florida for a portion of the shuttle era, I walked down my driveway, turned tight, and saw it live. For most people, there would be a brief mention with a few seconds of video on the evening news.
Today, I watch the Space-X Crew Dragon return to earth, with live video from inside the craft and the recovery boats on my iPad.
Cool.
sfnowak 