Shuttle Launch Pad

The shuttle has explosive nuts (6 foot diameter, I think) that hold it down when it is ready for launch. When it is time to launch the nuts are filled with explosives and they blow apart, allowing the shuttle to lift off. The shuttle then rises straight on the bolts. Even if the nuts didn't explode, the shuttle would go into space anyway, but it would damage the launch pad. The nut pieces are caught in sand traps after they explode. On the right is the edge of a water tower, which is part of the sound suppression system. When you watch a shuttle launch on tv, you see a large amount of white vapor, which is steam. The water tower holds 3000 (maybe it was 30,000) gallons of water, and the pipes in the area hold another 100,000 gallons of water. When the shuttle is launched this water turns to steam. Incidentally, shock waves bouncing back from the launch pad are a real problem.