Right to left: NASA launch weather officer Kathy Winters, STS-122 payload manager Debbie Hahn, NASA test director Jeff Spalding
While the continental US landing and TAL sites all have good weather in coming days the storm clouds are apparently closing in here at the Cape
According to today's 1000h EST L-1 STS-122 status briefing there is a 70% chance of weather prohibiting launch tomorrow and the decision could come as early as the mission management team (MMT) meeting that is held at 0445h
We were told that there was a 5% chance of severe weather, a thunder storm basically, an hour or two after the launch time of 1447h
While there was a 0% chance of weather prohibiting tanking, fuelling the Shutte's external tank with its liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, Kathy Winters, NASA's launch weather officer (from the 45th Weather Squadron at the US Air Force's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station), described the opinion of her office as being "a lot of concern" for the launch and they expected cumulus clouds and some rain. Essentially if the MMT doesn't like the weather expected later that day tanking won't happen
While Friday looked a bit better with a 30% chance of weather prohibiting launch Saturday was only worse with a 40% chance and then over the weekend wind speeds were expected to rise and later next week the weather fronts would likely repeat the current scenario
Jeff Spalding, NASA test director, said that there had yet to be a decision on whether three launch attempts would be made before standing KSC down
on February 6, 2008 9:43 PM | Reply
NASA is having really bad luck with this mission. At least they can demonstrate to the international partners their commitment to safety.