Lightning struck today (August 27) over Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which will host the much-anticipated launch of the service Artemis 1 mission to the moon on Monday morning (August 29). Bolts approached stack Artemis 1 — a Space launch system (SLS) megarok with an Orion crew capsule — with three even striking Pad 39B’s lightning bolts. Lightning strikes next to 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 two-hour window that opens at 8:33 a.m. . EDT. pic.twitter.com/UsfBX1Q2u8 August 27, 2022 See more There is no cause for alarm. the towers did their job, deflecting dangerous hits from valuable space flight material. One of the three towers of 39B was similar hit in early April during an Artemis 1 refueling test, for example, both SLS and Orion emerged unscathed. In a blog post update (opens in new tab) this afternoon, NASA officials said the three impacts today were likely “low magnitude.” However, the agency is investigating whether they may have affected the Artemis 1 stack or Pad 39B. “A meteorological team has begun an assessment that includes the collection of 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 if any vehicle or ground systems restrictions were violated. Engineers will conduct a pad visit 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 first flight of the SLS. The powerful rocket will launch Orion on an uncrewed mission to lunar orbit that will last six weeks from launch to breakup. The main objective is to prove that both vehicles are ready to launch astronauts the moon and other deep space destinations. The weather is not good on the Space Coast today, as evidenced by the lightning. However, it is expected to clear up significantly by launch day. meteorologists with the US Space Force they say there’s a 70% chance Mother Nature will cooperate Monday morning. However, if weather or technical issues prevent this launch attempt, NASA has two backup opportunities in the current launch window to fire — September 2 and September 5. Editor’s note: This story was updated at 6:45 p.m. EDT on August 27 to include information from NASA’s blog post update. Mike Wall is the author of “Out there (opens in new tab)” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018, illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for extraterrestrial life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall (opens in a new tab). Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or enabled Facebook (opens in a new tab).
