The countdown to the planned launch tonight of a Delta IV rocket and a new national weather satellite is under way at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station but mission managers face a case of deja vu.
Seasonal summer thunderstorms are expected to sweep into the area from the west coast of Florida, bringing with them electrically charged clouds that could result in the Delta IV rocket triggering destructive bolts of lightning in flight.
Launch Weather Officer Joel Tumbiolo issued a forecast today calling for a 70-percent chance that conditions will prohibit a launch. He says there is a high risk of cumulus and anvil clouds to be in the area and also expects thunderstorm-induced winds to be stiff.
The forecast calls for conditions near-identical to those that prompted a launch scrub Friday night.
You can check out all the details in this Official Weather Forecast from the U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing Weather Squadron. The group provides forecasting services for all launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and NASA's nearby Kennedy Space Center.
The United Launch Alliance rocket and its payload -- a Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite -- are scheduled to blast off from Launch Complex 37
Stick with us throughout the day for live countdown updates here in The Flame Trench. We'll also be broadcasting live NASA TV countdown commentary beginning at 4 p.m. Simply click the NASA TV box at the righthand side of the page to launch our NASA TV viewer, and be sure to refresh this page for periodic updates.
Countdown clocks are coming up on a 60-minute built-in hold -- a period inserted in the countdown to give engineers time to deal with any technical problems or other issues.
The launch team is starting to arrive on station at the Delta IV Operations Center, which a located a scant mile-and-three-quarters from Launch Complex 37, where the Delta IV is being readied for flight.
Coming up early this afternoon: critical propellant-loading operations. Check back for updates.
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