KSC-2011-6163

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the lightning protection system, consisting of three 600-foot-tall lightning towers, remains at Launch Pad 39B after the pad's deconstruction. Each tower is 500 feet tall and topped off with an additional 100-foot fiberglass mast which supports a wire catenary system. In 2009, the structure at the pad was no longer needed for NASA's Space Shuttle Program, so it is being restructured for future use. The new design will feature a "clean pad" for rockets to come with their own launcher, making it more versatile for a number of vehicles. For information on NASA's future plans, visit http://www.nasa.gov/exploration. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett