The last two launch towers to stand at Cape Canaveral since the dawn of the Space Age are no more.
The twin mobile gantries at Launch Complex 17 (LC-17) were imploded Thursday morning (July 12), toppling the oldest remaining launch pad structures at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The United States Air Force's 45th Space Wing oversaw the demolition, which leveled the landmark towers just after 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT).
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-12-2018 06:53 PM
From Moon Express, which is leasing Complex 17 as a testing ground for its robotic moon landers:
In the early morning hours of July 12, 2018, at around 7 a.m. EDT, Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith – the commander of the U.S. Air Force's 45th Space Wing – ceremoniously pushed the button that demolished the site's two historic launch towers.
randyc Member
Posts: 779 From: Chandler, AZ USA Registered: May 2003
posted 07-12-2018 08:18 PM
I was a member of the Delta Launch Team at SLC-17 and seeing the demolition of the two Mobile Service Towers and Fixed Umbilical Towers was a sad moment. Those structures were first built in 1956 and 'saw' a lot of space program history.
denali414 Member
Posts: 593 From: Raleigh, NC Registered: Aug 2017
posted 07-15-2018 05:50 PM
So when do we see the lucites from this?
Buel Member
Posts: 649 From: UK Registered: Mar 2012
posted 07-15-2018 06:44 PM
Perhaps it’s the nostalgic side that I have... but boy do I get sad seeing things like this.