From NASA April 2, 2022 Sunrise casts a golden glow on the Artemis I Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft on Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 23, 2022. Credits: NASA / Ben Smegelsky The launch team continues to monitor for severe weather in the Kennedy Space Center area surrounding the 39B Launch Complex. Earlier this afternoon one of the lightning towers was hit and teams are currently assessing any impact. The lightning protection system consists of three towers almost 600 feet high that work together to protect the rocket from lightning. The team will inform as soon as a decision is made about the intensity of the strike and create a promotion plan. The meteorologists of the US Space Force Space Launch Delta 45 forecast favorable weather conditions for tanks on April 3. The forecast for this afternoon has improved slightly from yesterday. There is currently less than a 5% chance of lightning within five nautical miles from the launch pad. Weather restrictions stipulate that there must be less than a 20% chance of lightning striking within 5 nautical miles of the cushion during the first hour of the tank. Meteorologists also forecast a 10% chance of winds greater than 23 knots on April 3, when the tank starts. Winds should not be above 37.5 knots and the temperature should not be below 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
