Posted on 11/10/2022 8:31:35 AM PST by Red Badger
With a tropical system bearing down on the Sunshine State, NASA has decided to leave the $4.1 billion Artemis 1 rocket on the Cape Canaveral launch pad.
This decision has left some worried that the anticipated launch of this rocket may be delayed indefinitely if it receives damage, but NASA is confident that it will be fine.
Trending: GOP Governor Receives Unexpected Phone Call After Midterm Victory According to a Tuesday blog post, the space agency stated that they are “working with U.S. Space Force and the National Hurricane Center to monitor Subtropical Storm Nicole.”
“NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is currently in a HURCON (Hurricane Condition) IV status, which includes implementing checklists and preparations for the storm as the agency continues to prioritize its employees in the Kennedy area.”
The post goes on to say that the rocket will be evaluated whether Artemis I is capable of a launch on Monday, Nov. 14.
The Artemis I is NASA’s latest step in its efforts to eventually return to the moon after a nearly 50-year absence from the lunar surface.
According to the New York Post, Artemis I’s mission is to send an empty capsule to orbit around the moon, before sending a manned mission in 2025.
Unfortunately, the mission has been delayed twice since August, once by a fuel leak and the other by Hurricane Ian back in September.
The concern now is whether NASA made the right decision to keep the highly anticipated and expensive craft exposed to the oncoming Tropical Storm Nicole.
According to the technology site ArsTechnica, NASA engineer John Blevins said Artemis can handle wind gusts up to 85 mph, though sustained winds may be another issue entirely.
Related: Video: DeSantis Crowd Erupts Into Chant That Trump Will Hate During Victory Speech NASA weighed the risk of keeping the rocket where it is mostly because of the possible wear and tear of transporting the massive rocket.
Artemis I would have to be rolled back four miles to its hangar and NASA has a budget for such rollouts; not to mention it takes a couple of days to safely set up the rocket on the pad, according to ArsTechnica.
According to ABC News, Nicole was expected to hit Florida’s east coast Wednesday night as a Category 1 hurricane, with sustained winds up to 95 mph. As Nicole graduates to Category 1 status, NASA runs the risk of underestimating the storm’s strength, causing potential damage to this important piece of the agency’s plans.
Weather forecasters have been issuing warnings:
As reported by the Orlando Sentinel, the acting head of the National Hurricane Center, Michael Brennan, stated Wednesday that, “we’re expecting the storm to go on and become a hurricane later today or tonight and make landfall as a hurricane along the east-central Florida coast somewhere in the vicinity from Palm Beach up to the Treasure Coast late tonight or early Thursday.”
Parts of the cost are already experiencing power outages and large sections of the Florida east coast are under evacuation orders.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
Chump change.
I can see it now - the wind knocks it partially over, sparks ignite the liquid fuel and it jets off on a northerly arc landing in DC upon the collected “mindtrust” we call the capitol....ah to dream...
Everybody gambles every day.
All is fine. They made the right call.
Keep hope alive.
Peak Gusts were over 60 mph across the Cape, with one recording as high as 91 mph
Probably beats the alternative. I thought I heard it was a large storm but lower on the catagory scale.
Yes, it’s barely a hurricane..................
I believe NASA is looking for an EXCUSE to NOT launch Artemis. There's no other explanation for it STILL sitting on the pad.
Meanwhile, Musk's SpaceX Starship continues to make advances in cryo testing the ship, and now leading up to a possible static fire of the booster again. Ship 25 might replace Ship 24 for launch? Not sure, but in any case SpaceX has accomplished more in 2 years than NASA has in 6 YEARS with Artemis. BUREAUCRACY KILLS PROGRESS, RIGHT NASA?
Friends say that area out of power and hit hard by high waves / storm surge.
The eye just passed over my daughter’s home in Citrus Springs...............
Elon doesn't have to make Muslims feel good.
And, godness knows what other unqualified AA hanger-on's that must be tolerated at NASA.
Barack Obama: Nasa Must Try To Make Muslims 'Feel Good'
I'm for NASA's present go slow/safe approach.
This is exactly the decision making that led to the challenger disaster. They knew weather parameters were iffy, and started feeling political pressure.
If you blindfold yourself and walk across the freeway at 3 AM, you may not get hit. That did not make it a good decision.
Not sure that the stresses are going to be more significant than a launch. The only thing I would worry about is debris being tossed about.
Well, we use Arabic numbering…what more do they want?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.