Weather support to the space program at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy Space Center

Weather is the leading source of scrubs and delays to space launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy Space Center in central Florida, in 'Lightning Alley' of the U.S. Some of the weather impacts on space launch are obvious, such as lightning, thunderstorm winds, and hurricanes. Many weather impacts are not so obvious, such as rocket triggered lightning, cold temperatures, and low altitude winds. The 45th Weather Squadron is the Air Force organization that provides weather support to these facilities. This presentation will review the stringent weather requirements of the space program in Florida and how 45th Weather Squadron supports this exciting mission.