Artemis 2 launch weather update as breezes ‘continue to be an issue’ for NASA mission | Science | News
Artemis 2 is scheduled to launch in a few hours, but the first Moon mission in 50 years could still be delayed due to weather conditions. NASA aims to launch on April 1 at 6:24 pm EDT (23:24 GMT), provided conditions are suitable. If this date is missed due to adverse weather conditions or other issues, additional opportunities are available for launch through April 6 and then again at the end of the month.
Mark Burger, NASA launch weather manager, said the weather is “a finicky thing for us sometimes,” but right now there are blue skies at the space center in Florida, which is a good sign. He told Sky News that breezes “will continue to be a problem” but will only pose a “minor” problem.
He added: “Artemis is a very durable vehicle, so despite the breezes this concern appears to be minimal.”
Mr Burger said April 1 still “looks like the best day” to launch, with only a “20% chance of it not moving”, so “the optimistic side of me means there’s an 80% chance of going here again”.
He said cumulus clouds moving from the east to the west of the state are “one of the elements to be aware of” as they could turn into showers.
The risk of lightning is “fairly low” and won’t arrive until the afternoon.
Weather forecasting company AccuWeather appears to back up NASA meteorologists’ assessments.
AccuWeather meteorologist Lydia Burroughs told Newsweek: “The weather appears to be cooperating for the Wednesday launch. Showers may continue across the region from early in the day and continue into the evening, but the risk of rain or lightning during the launch window is low.”
Occasional thunderstorms may occur throughout the rest of the week through Monday, which could pose a problem if the April 1 launch is delayed.
The rocket’s crew consists of astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. They will be the first humans to fly on the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft.
It was scheduled to launch in February, but a helium leak was discovered and it had to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building in Cape Canaveral for repairs.
NASA said the issue has now been resolved and Artemis 2 was returned to the Florida launch pad on March 19 ahead of launch.
