With SLRSC; 45th Space Wing Operations Group Commander Col. Bernard Gruber.

Breaking ground in a mock ceremony for a new weather radar site are (left to right) Project Lead Kim Gwaltney, with SLRSC; 45th Space Wing Operations Group Commander Col. Bernard Gruber; Range Systems Support Manager Walt Danewood; Lt. Col. Stacy Exum with the 45th Space Wing; Lt. Col. Jennifer Alexander with the 45th Space Wing; Harry Earl with Heard Construction and Pat Carr, SLRSC program director with ITT. The site will be used by NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the 45th Space Wing and their customers. The weather radar is essential in issuing lightning and other severe weather warnings and vital in evaluating lightning launch commit criteria. The new radar, replacing what was installed 25 years ago, includes Doppler capability to detect winds and identify the type, size and number of precipitation particles. The site is ideally distant from the launch pads and has unobstructed views of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller