Weather Threatens STS-116 Launch
Weather Forecast Takes Center Stage For STS-116 Launch
“Tomorrow we are expecting a frontal system to come into the area, and that is going to bring in a lot of cloud cover,” Winters said. “We did increase our probability of weather prohibiting a [Kennedy] launch to 60 percent.” The forecast indicates the possibility of isolated light rain and low clouds in the area at launch time. Weather is also a concern at a contingency landing site in Istres, France. Tail winds there may increase and pose an issue as well. In the case of a 24-hour delay, the forecast isn’t much better: there’s a chance the winds at the launch pad or Shuttle Landing Facility could exceed limits, bringing the chance of weather prohibiting launch to 70 percent.”