An email question says, “I am watching launch coverage on TV, and the sky looks blue and just a little overcast. Why is the launch no go?”
A few miles from the launch are thunderstorms which would interfer not with the launch, but with a launch abort situation called RTLS”
RTLS is Return To Landing Site, meaning that should the shuttle have a launch problem that requires the orbiter to seperate from the External tank early, the clouds would cause problems with the landing.
Please send your launch day email question to me at arthur@spaceweekly.com
More to come!