The Importance of Short-Term Forecasting of Thunderstorms to Launch Operations at Cape Canaveral

Abstract

The local meteorological events leading up to the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis on 2 August 1991 ware captured in full-resolution GOES visible data being archived for the Convection and Precipitation/Electrification Experiment. The postponement of the launch on 1 August, and the successful lift-off on the following day provide a good example of the important role played by nowcasting and short-term forecasting at Cape Canaveral. In this brief article, we discuss the local weather conditions prior to, during, and after the launch and demonstrate the importance of short-term forecasting capabilities around the cape during launch operations.