Wires running down to the ground from the mast directed the lightning away from the pad structure. Instrumentation at the pad recorded the strike. Officials said only a minor surge was noted on the liquid oxygen vent arm. The severe storms did hold up routine pre-launch work Tuesday but the time was expected to be made up as the countdown continues to Friday's scheduled launch. In a more dramatic lightning strike 17 years ago, pad 39A was hit while Challenger sat fully fueled and five astronauts were strapped aboard just hours before the eighth shuttle launch.
Video shows various angles of the strike from a series of launch pad cameras.
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