Work underway on dismantling of launch pad at Kennedy Space Center.
It’s just over a month since the final flight of the Space Shuttle touched down safely at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But, as this superb video shows, NASA has wasted no time in starting the demolition of one of the launch pads used to blast the iconic craft into space.
The fixed service structure (FSS) and rotating service structure (RSS) from Launch Pad 39B have been removed. The FSS and RSS were designed to support the unique needs of the Space Shuttle Program.
The pad is being restructured for future use. Its new design will feature a “clean pad” for rockets to come with their own launcher, making it more versatile for a number of vehicles. The transformation also includes the refurbishment of the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tanks and the upgrade of about 1.3 million feet of cable. The new lightning protection system, which was in place for the October 2009 launch of Ares I-X, will remain.
