Weather, Storms & Hurricane Blog

Weather Ok’s Atlantis Space Shuttle Launch This Afternoon

Well, mother nature ended up being in favor of a shuttle launch today too, and the expected thunderstorms and rain held off for a perfect launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis. I drove up to south Cape Canaveral taking the risk that the 30% launch chance would happen. Earlier this morning the weather forecast for the Florida Space Coast was not looking all the well for a launch, and it’s a pain making the drive only to have the launch scrubbed due to weather issues. Well, the sky cleared and the convection held off long enough for another great launch.

Atlantis Space Shuttle Launch Video and Pictures

I’m currently still up at the cape at a Mc Donald’s having a late lunch and sucking up some Wifi internet to check email and post this article. Here is a picture grab from the smaller camera behind me that was shooting a hour long time lapse showing the clouds and upper-level wind pattern with the Space Shuttle blasting off in the background. I’ll work on getting some of the Space Shuttle launch video online later tonight from both camera’s and post it to this article, so look for a update here.

Monitoring Developing Florida Thunderstorms

Moments after Atlantis blasted off into orbit, convection popped just northwest of Kennedy Space Center along the old stalled cold front boundary. Whew! Atlantis got off just in time now that I look at the radar. I think I’m going to hang around central Florida for a few hours to see what develops along this boundary and see if there is any lightning video opportunities. That would just make my day. First a excellent shuttle launch and then thunderstorms to play around with, and all in February. I’ll try and update again later this evening, until then, have a great day.

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