NASA assesses Artemis moon rocket after brush with Hurricane Nicole
CBSN
NASA's $4.1 billion Artemis moon rocket, exposed to the elements atop its Kennedy Space Center launch pad, was rocked by high winds and driving rain early Thursday as Tropical Storm Nicole roared ashore as a Category 1 hurricane just south of the spaceport.
With blastoff on a long-delayed maiden flight on tap next week, sensors at pad 39B recorded gusts as high as 100 mph atop a 467-foot-tall lightning tower near the rocket. But winds at the 60-foot-level, which are part of the booster's structural certification, peaked at 82 mph, just below the 85 mph limit.
The observed winds were "within the rocket's capability," said Jim Free, manager of exploration systems at NASA headquarters. "We anticipate clearing the vehicle for those conditions shortly."