Shuttle launch caught mid-air by passenger camera

The launch of the space shuttle Discovery on February 24 was taken on a phone camera from a passing plane. The video became an instant hit on YouTube, beating the 1 million mark in less than a week.

The footage was taken by Neil Monday, a 25-year-old software developer, as he was returning to his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, for his older brother's wedding.

Discovery is now doing its final space mission before being sent to a museum. Two of its sibling spaceships, Atlantis and Endeavour, have one flight scheduled each, after which the whole program will become part of history.