This is why launch ramps have lightning towers.
Lightning crackled today (August 27) over Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which will host the agency’s longawaited liftoff. Artemis 1 lunar mission on Monday morning (August 29).
The bolts approached the pile of Artemis 1: a Space launch system (SLS) overtaken by an Orion crew capsule, with three even hitting Pad 39B’s lightning towers.
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Lightning strikes the side of Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center moments ago as NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Artemis I await their launch Monday during a twohour window that opens at 8: 33 am EDT. pic.twitter.com/UsfBX1Q2u8August 27, 2022
There is no cause for alarm; the towers were doing their job, deflecting dangerous attacks away from valuable spaceflight hardware. One of the three towers of 39B was similar hit in early April during an Artemis 1 power test, for example, and the SLS and Orion emerged unscathed.
In an update to the blog post (opens in a new tab) this evening, NASA officials said today’s three attacks were likely “low magnitude.” Still, the agency is investigating whether they may have impacted the Artemis 1 stack or Pad 39B.
“A weather team has begun an assessment that includes collecting voltage and current data as well as imagery,” NASA officials wrote in the update. “The data will be shared with a team of experts in electromagnetic environment efforts who will determine whether vehicle or ground system limitations have been violated. Engineers will conduct a platform walk tonight and, if necessary, conduct additional assessments with subsystem experts.”
Artemis 1 is NASA’s first mission Artemis lunar exploration program, as well as the debut flight of the SLS. The powerful rocket will launch Orion on an uncrewed mission to lunar orbit that will last six weeks from liftoff to dump. The main goal is to demonstrate that both vehicles are ready to start launching astronauts the moon and other deep space destinations.
The weather isn’t great on the Space Coast today, as evidenced by the lightning. But it is expected to clear considerably on launch day; weather with the US Space Force let’s say there’s a 70% chance mother nature will cooperate on monday morning.
However, if weather or technical issues cancel this liftoff attempt, NASA has two backup opportunities in the current launch window to fire: September 2nd and September 5th.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 6:45 p.m. EDT on August 27 to include information from the NASA blog post update.
Mike Wall is the author of “Over there (opens in a new tab)” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall (opens in a new tab). follow us on twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in a new tab) or on Facebook (opens in a new tab).