Lightning Strikes at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

Take a look at various lightning strikes over the years at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The event was captured by high-speed cameras stationed at the pad and mobile launcher as well as the Vehicle Assembly Building. For the images that seem to be in daylight, a special filter called a “clear day frame” was used, which provides an overlay of the raw frame on a reference image. At pad 39B, there are three, 600-foot-tall masts with overhead wires used to transmit electrical energy around the perimeter of the pad to provide lightning protection for launch vehicles as they are processed and launched from the pad. Click here to learn more about the lightning towers.