Live At The Cape: Range Goes Red For Weather

LIVE IMAGES: The images above are from live video feeds at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, where United Launch Alliance is preparing to launch a Delta IV rocket and a new national weather satellite. The image on the left is from the Air Force 45th Space Wing Weather Channel; on the right is the Delta IV rocket on Launch Complex 37. They will automatically refresh to the most up-to-the-minute image every 30 seconds. Be sure to refresh this page, though, for periodic updates.

BLOGGER UPDATE, 1:39 p.m.: A band of thunderstorm clouds is sweeping through the Cape and Launch Complex 37 now is under a Phase Two Lightning Warning, meaning lightning is in the area. The alert is expected to be in effect for the next hour or so. Preps for a 6:14 p.m. launch nonetheless will continue.

BLOGGER UPDATE, 1:28 p.m.: The range is now read on four launch commit criteria: lightning, cumulus clouds, anvil clouds and surface field mills. (The surface field mills are devices that measure the electrical potential in the atmosphere -- the chance, if you will, that a rocket would trigger lightning in flight.)

A band of thunderstorms is pushing electrically charged clouds into the Kennedy Space Center area, triggering launch weather violations at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

But range safety rules allow for the continuation of ongoing fuel-loading operations at Launch Complex 37, where a Delta IV rocket and a new national weather satellite are being readied for a 6:14 p.m. launch.

Storms sweeping from northwest of the Cape prompted the range to go red on both the cumulus cloud and lightning launch rules. Launch Weather Officer Joel Tumbiolo likely will be issuing a Phase II Lightning Warning within the next half-hour.

With a Phase One Lightning Warning in effect, engineers started loading supercold propellants into tanks aboard the 206-foot-tall rocket about 30 minutes ago.

Range safety rules allow for starting-up propellant-loading operations during a Phase One Lightning Warning -- alerts that are issued when conditions are ripe for lightning strikes.

The loading of hazardous fuels, however, would be prohibited if a Phase Two Lightning Warning was in effect. A Phase Two warning is issued when lightning strikes actually are being recorded in the area.

Range safety rules allow for fuel-loading operations to continue if a Phase Two Lightning Warning is issued after the start-up of tanking. So mission managers in effect have kept open the opportunity to launch during the 6:14 p.m.-to-7:14 p.m. window should stormy weather clear in time to proceed with launch.

Stick with us for live countdown updates throughout the afternoon. We also will be broadcasting live here in The Flame Trench NASA TV coverage of the final countdown and launch attempt starting at 4 p.m. Simply click the NASA TV box on the righthand side of the page to launch our NASA TV viewer, and be sure to refresh this page for periodic updates.