Space History Photo: Icicles on the Launch Tower

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Overnight on Jan. 28, 1986 icicles formed on the launch pad and service tower. (Image credit: NASA.)

In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, icicles formed on the launch pad and service tower in the evening and early morning hours on January 28, 1986. When it was determined that air temperatures combined with wind speeds were going to cause freezing conditions, a decision was made to leave all water supply lines on slow "trickle" to prevent line burst. This action resulted in a surreal scene for the Florida launch facility.

Each weekday, SPACE.com looks back at the history of spaceflight through photos (archive).

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