Rocket launch pads eject half a million gallons of water to reduce extreme heat and energy generated during launches.
As part of the preparations for its new Space Launch System, NASA tested the water deluge system, which includes shooting 450,000 gallons of water onto the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center.
According to NASA, the water deluge system is used to reduce extreme heat and energy generated after a rocket launch. The Space Launch System is basically a giant rocket NASA will use in a series of missions traveling to the moon and Mars.
The system is designed to carry larger payloads and generate more energy, which could open the door to deep space missions "including robotic scientific missions to places like Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter," said NASA.