After a number of failed attempts, NASA said on Monday there was a 60 percent chance of favourable cloud cover conditions for the camera sites at Wallops and Bermuda. NASA has acknowledged that the launch of Black Brant XII hasn't gone as hoped. Ian Whittaker, senior lecturer in physics at Nottingham Trent University, who was also not involved in the project, said all space agencies have to postpone launches from time to time because of bad weather.Īdverse conditions such as high winds or rain can cause the rocket to deviate from its path, which means the rocket may need more fuel than it is carrying to correct its course "or possibly could cause a fatal error in the rocket," Whittaker said. But fortunately many launches have wide launch windows." "These missions can cost many millions, so it would be foolish to risk it on launching in unsuitable weather conditions. Maggie Lieu, a research fellow in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the U.K.'s University of Nottingham, who is not involved in the project, told Newsweek it was normal for rocket launches to be postponed because of the weather. The next opportunity to send up the rocket will be 8:02 p.m. because it was concerned about clouds in Bermuda. The latest postponement came after NASA had extended the window for Wednesday's launch to run from 7:59 p.m. Newsweek has contacted the Wallops facility for further information on the incident. On Wednesday, NASA's Wallops Flight Facility tweeted that the launch had been postponed again so the rocket could be inspected "after the vehicle came in contact with a launcher support during today's preparations." There are several factors to consider before launching a sounding rocket, according to the space agency, including wind speed and direction as well as the launch angle. NASA tweeted on May 8: "These types of science missions require specific conditions and sometimes can take days before launching." Clear skies are needed at Wallops and Bermuda in order to view the vapor as it maps its surroundings, according to NASA. The rocket will give off two harmless clouds of barium vapor. ![]() The sounding rocket is being launched as part of NASA's KiNet-X mission to investigate how energy and momentum travel in areas of space that are magnetically connected. Weather conditions over the past few days have prevented the launch, with winds not in the required range for a safe takeoff. The agency's Black Brant XII rocket was originally due to take off at 7:58 p.m. NASA has postponed a rocket launch from its facility in Wallops, Virginia, for the sixth time.
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