Meteorological Support to Spaceport Operations

The Spaceflight Meteorology Group. (SMG) Weather Bureau., ESSA, is responsible for providing weather support in connection with the Manned Spaceflight Program. This weather support is broadly categorized, into: (1) Mission suppprt, and C 2) Non-mis s ion support. Prior to a manned space flight, the Cape Kennedy Section of the SMG provides pertinent weather forecasts to the various users, such, as the Mission Director and. the Launch. Director, After launching, the distribution of forecasts for recovery purposes becomes the primary responsibility for another section of SMG. With the progression from Project Mercury to the Gemini program and to the Apollo program, the need for non-mission, weather support increased,. Many weather-critical operations are affected, by minute weather changes, which are continuously reported to the various test conductors during pre-launch tests, together with Interpretations of their Impact \u27upon the test. Of primary importance is the occurrence of strong winds. In. this regard the Saturn V launch, vehicle poses special problems^ The Mobile Launcher\u27and the Mobile Service Structure do not provide protection, to the vehicle against strong winds . Therefore, \u27whenever the design wind speed, of the space vehicle is likely to be exceeded, it is expected that as assembled vehicle standing on the launch pad would \u27be returned, to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Such wind speed would ordinarily be associated with tropical cyclones passing; near the Cape Kennedy area