NASA's iconic "Countdown Clock" that's counted down every U.S. space mission since 1969 has been dismantled.

One of the most watched clocks in the world and second only to London's Big Ben, NASA's Countdown Clock has been taken down from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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The clock has been a NASA icon since November 1969, the first time it was used. It first counted down the manned Apollo 12 mission to the Moon.

The clock consists of more than 330 40 watt light bulbs. All of these light bulbs were replaced regularly when the clock was in use.

Maintaining the clock was always a challenge for NASA. The clock had fans that cooled its motors and electronics. All the other original parts and components have been replaced since the clock was always exposed to salt air from the Atlantic coast. It's also been hit by countless storms and hurricanes during its 45 years of service.

NASA finally decided keeping the clock was inefficient since it required too much maintenance.

The Countdown Clock won't easily be forgotten. It'll be given a special place of honor at the Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex.

Visitors can still see the clock and pay their respects to this clock that has been witness to all the triumphs and tragedies of the U.S. space program for over half a century.

The clock will be restored and refurbished and will be installed next to the Space Shuttle "Atlantis." The clock counted down Atlantis' final launch in 2011.

The new countdown clock will look identical to its predecessor. The updated version, however, will feature modern technology and electronics. The new clock will be installed and ready for the Orion capsule launch on December 4.

The Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 launch is an unmanned test flight that will help NASA figure out the capsule's avionics and its heat shield capacity. The capsule will orbit the Earth twice before re-entering the atmosphere. It will land off the Mexican coast.

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