Artemis 2 is due to launch in mere hours, but the first Moon mission in 50 years could still be postponed due to the weather. NASA is aiming to launch at 6.24pm EDT (11.24pm GMT) on April 1, provided conditions are favourable. If this date is missed due to unfavourable weather conditions or other issues, there are additional opportunities for launch up to April 6, and then again at the end of the month.
NASA launch weather officer Mark Burger said the weather has been a « nuanced thing for us at times », but there are currently blue skies at the space centre in Florida, which is a good sign. Breezes will « continue to be an issue », he told Sky News, but they only present a « minor » problem.
He added: « Artemis is a very resilient vehicle, so despite the breezes, it looks like that concern is a minimal one. »
Mr Burger said April 1 still « looks the best » day for launch, with only a « 20% chance of a no-go condition », so the « optimistic side of me says that means 80% chance of go here again« .
He said cumulus clouds moving from the east to the west of the state are « one of the watch items » as they could turn into showers.
The risk of lightning is « quite low » and would not come until the late afternoon.
Weather forecasting company AccuWeather appears to back NASA meteorologists’ assessments.
AccuWeather meteorologist Lydia Burroughs told Newsweek: « The weather seems to be cooperating for a Wednesday launch. Showers from earlier in the day may be lingering in the area into the evening, but the risk for rain or lightning during the launch window is low. »
Sporadic thunderstorms are possible throughout the rest of the week into Monday, which could present an issue should the April 1 launch be delayed.
The rocket’s crew is made up of astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. They will be the first people to fly on the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft.
It was set 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 problem has now been fixed, and Artemis 2 was rolled back to the Florida launchpad on March 19 ahead of the launch.
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