Ares I-X Launch on Tuesday? Well, maybe more like Wednesday. October 25, 2009
Posted by ktobin in Ares I-X, NASA, Spaceflight Now Webcast.trackback
Good news: the launch control team at the Kennedy Space Center is working no issues of any significance with the Ares I-X rocket — the vehicle is basically good to go.
Courtesy Spaceflight Now
Bad news: the weather remains 60% no-go for launch on Tuesday. Weather officer Kathy Winters says rain is expected throughout the morning, but the real issue is something called “triboelectrification.” That’s a word unfamiliar to much of the NASA press corps, judging by the questions asked during today’s Launch Status Briefing. “Triboelectrification” occurs when the rocket flies through rain, creating friction and generating static charges. That static can interfere with communications.
Winters indicated that, while they may get a 10 or 15 minute break in the rain clouds over the pad on Tuesday and go intermittently “green” for precipitation, the cloud deck in the vicinity is likely to be dense enough that they’ll likely stay “red” for the “triboelectrficiation” rule all morning. She feels better about Wednesday, when she expects the cloud deck to be more scattered.
For much (much!) more, watch the Spaceflight Now launch webcast starting at 6am Tuesday, October 27 with Miles O’Brien, David Waters, and Leroy Chaio – produced by Yours Truly.
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