Lightning Protection for the Next Generation Spacecraft
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This artist's concept depicts the completed lightning protection system at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B. Credit: NASA
Thunder rumbles in the distance as darkening clouds gather above NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B, where a sleek Ares I launch vehicle stands awaiting an upcoming flight. A blinding lightning flash suddenly streaks down from the sky, striking one of the pad's tall steel masts. The surge of electrical current quickly is diverted away from the rocket and carried safely into the ground.
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