Iconic Countdown lock being removed

Credit: NASA

This barely relates to the space station, but I feel like it is worth mentioning. Anytime you have ever watched a space shuttle launch (which launched dozens of times to the space station before retiring), you likely saw the iconic countdown clock.

It was used for every manned spaceflight since Apollo 8 in 1968. It has gotten to expensive to maintain, and the parts for it are getting harder and harder to come by. So, NASA will be putting it at the visitors center where Atlantis is housed. In its place will be a new LED countdown clock that will be similar to boards at baseball stadiums. It will be able to display things besides the countdown, such as NASA TV, or interviews, etc.

In the mean time, here is a picture of workers taking it apart.

Credit: NASA

For those who may not know, here is the location of the clock.