UNITED STATES: The much-anticipated launch of NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission has been rescheduled for 10:19 a.m. EDT (1419 GMT) on Friday, October 13, in response to adverse weather conditions approaching from the Gulf of Mexico.
Originally slated for Thursday morning, the launch was postponed after a prelaunch briefing on Wednesday revealed a mere 20% chance of favourable weather conditions for the following day.
The decision was made as storm systems moved in on Wednesday night, prompting mission teams to seize the improved launch windows forecasted for Friday and Saturday, October 14.
Arlena Moses, launch weather officer with the U.S. Space Force, highlighted concerns regarding escalating liftoff winds during the briefing. “We expect winds to pick up very quickly out of the south and southwest.”
Moses stated, emphasizing gusts potentially reaching 20 to 25 miles per hour. These conditions were projected to persist throughout Thursday’s launch window, compelling the postponement to Friday.
Moses also discussed the weather prospects for the backup launch windows, explaining that both Friday and Saturday mornings present roughly equal chances of favourable conditions, at around 50%.
The decision to prioritize Friday’s window may also be attributed to the characteristics of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launch vehicle. The rocket has a limited number of launch recycle attempts, allowing for full fueling only twice before necessitating maintenance that could lead to significant launch delays.
Tim Dunn, NASA’s senior launch director, shed light on the constraints imposed by the Falcon Heavy’s design. “The limitations for recycled attempts are due to the vast quantity of densified LOX (liquid oxygen) that we use with the Falcon Heavy configuration,” he clarified.
With Friday offering a 50% chance of a successful launch and Saturday presenting a similar probability, NASA aims to maximize their chances of a smooth liftoff. The launch window remains open until October 25, providing ample opportunities to embark on the mission to explore the enigmatic metallic asteroid Psyche, nestled within the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
NASA’s Psyche mission promises to unravel the mysteries surrounding this unusual celestial body, believed to be the exposed core of a protoplanet.
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