Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Omaha Steve

(99,074 posts)
Wed May 27, 2020, 06:11 PM May 2020

Bummed out': SpaceX launch scrubbed because of bad weather

Source: AP

By MARCIA DUNN

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The launch of a SpaceX rocket ship with two NASA astronauts on a history-making flight into orbit was called off with less than 17 minutes to go in the countdown Wednesday because of thunderclouds and the danger of lightning.

Liftoff was rescheduled for Saturday afternoon.

The spacecraft — designed, built and owned by SpaceX — was set to blast off in the afternoon for the International Space Station, opening a new era in commercial spaceflight. It would have also marked the first time in nearly a decade that the U.S. launched astronauts into orbit from American soil.

But thunderstorms for much of the day threatened to force a postponement, and the word finally came down that the atmosphere was so electrically charged that the spacecraft with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken aboard was in danger of getting hit by a bolt of lightning.



A SpaceX Falcon 9, with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken in the Dragon crew capsule, prepare to lift off from Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Wednesday, May 27, 2020. The veicle is venting as the mission was scrubbed. The launch of a SpaceX rocket ship with two NASA astronauts on a history-making flight into orbit was been called off with 16 minutes to go in the countdown because of the danger of lightning. (AP Photo/David J. Philip)


Read more: https://apnews.com/ee3b4602a879326904ee9cc53d676391

12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

Talitha

(6,479 posts)
3. Earlier in the day they said there was a tornado watch.
Wed May 27, 2020, 06:34 PM
May 2020

They were waiting for a window of opportunity and things began to look better so they started fueling. But I guess the conditions got unfavorable again. Oh well, they'll get it launched.

yaesu

(8,020 posts)
7. Me too plus,in my opinion, manned space flights have always been space cowboy shows
Wed May 27, 2020, 10:12 PM
May 2020

and a waste of money. We need to fix things here on Earth first.

SergeStorms

(18,903 posts)
11. Yeah, there won't be any money...
Thu May 28, 2020, 01:17 AM
May 2020

in our budgets for space travel for quite some time. Maybe we can have a "Go Fund Me" pledge drive to fly Trump to Mars. Hell, I'd chip in a bundle for that!

GulfCoast66

(11,949 posts)
5. Was listening to local radio and the reason was amazing.
Wed May 27, 2020, 07:40 PM
May 2020

It was not storming there when canceled.

But apparently when there are enough charges in the air the exhaust Cloud can cause, basically, man made lightening. They lost several rockets in the early days till they understood the reason. Now their are some type of sensors at the cape that reads the level of the charges about and if they number is too high the launch is scrubbed.

Who knew?

FM123

(10,050 posts)
8. Yes, so bummed. But better safe than sorry.
Wed May 27, 2020, 11:38 PM
May 2020

We were having such bad weather down here (South FL) but I was hoping it would be alright up there...

KY_EnviroGuy

(14,483 posts)
12. Musk was relying on Trump's weather expertise on tropical storms.
Thu May 28, 2020, 03:11 AM
May 2020

Trump needs a new improved Sharpie.......

SergeStorms

(18,903 posts)
10. Florida in the summer...
Thu May 28, 2020, 01:13 AM
May 2020

is the rainiest time of year. I used to live in central Florida and you could almost set your watch by the afternoon thunderstorms. They'd last 20-30 minutes and that would be the end of it, but a day without rain in the summer months is something of a oddity.

NASA usually waited until any of the other 3 seasons for their launches. Why Musk (if indeed it was Musk) chose the summer is beyond me.

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»Bummed out': SpaceX launc...