I watched SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket launch Elon Musk's car into space - here's what it was like near the launchpad

There is nothing like seeing a rocket launch toward space in person, and the first flight of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy was no exception.

As a space reporter, I've see a handful of space shuttles and a Mars robot leave Earth, but Falcon Heavy's maiden flight blew them all away.

SpaceX gave me access to cover its demonstration mission, which successfully launched company founder Elon Musk's red Tesla Roadster toward Mars with a spacesuit-clad "Starman" dummy and three cameras inside.

Here's what it was like to witness the spectacle of Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center, including a post-launch press conference with Musk.