showers that could also pose a risk for the launch. However, with an hour and 45 minute window,
Coming up in our webcast, Launch Director Chuck Dovale will take us through launch day, and Deputy Project Scientist Sue Smrekar
will answer your questions about the mission. Question winners will be announced at the end of this show. But first, Clay Flinn,
our launch weather officer, is here to tell us about the forecast for launch day. Thanks for joining us today, Clay.
Thank you, Tiffany. Good to be here.
Weather always seems to be a big story, especially during now, right now, during hurricane season. Can you tell us how things are
looking for launch day? Sure. A major player is our weather, the type of weather that we receive here during our summer months it deals
with the position of the subtropical ridge axis. Presently, the ridge axis is to our south, which results in southwesterly flow.
If you take a look at that satellite picture that we have of the peninsula of Florida, you'll note that we have a line of
thunderstorms pretty much oriented north to south and they'll move from west to east.
So the southwesterly flow thunderstorms favor the eastern portion of the peninsula during the late afternoon and evening hours. However,
we have an early morning launch for the MRO AB 007. With the window opening up at 7:54, we'd expect relatively benign conditions for the launch.
We're just looking at scattered low clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered high clouds, unrestricted visibility, winds should be from the
southwest at 8 knots gusting to 12, and we should have some isolated coastal showers out over the Atlantic Ocean.
Are there any other weather factors that could affect the MRO launch?
Well, yes. With the isolated coastal showers, a concern would be thick clouds that could cause a launch constraint for us if
the clouds are greater than 4,500 feet thick. And likewise, we do have standoff distances for cumulous clouds associated with those
I feel that we should be able to, it shouldn't last the entire window. We should be able to get the launch off.
Thanks for the forecast, Clay. We'll hope the weather cooperates for a great launch day.
You're more than welcome, Tiffany.