Here’s a chart of the Artemis II weather criteria.
🌦️ Artemis II Weather Criteria
Launch Constraints for NASA’s SLS & Orion at Kennedy Space Center
Rollout to Launch Pad
| Lightning | NO-GO if forecast >10% within 20 nautical miles during rollout |
|---|---|
| Hail | NO-GO if >5% chance of hail forecast in launch area |
| Wind | NO-GO if sustained wind >40 knots or peak wind >45 knots |
| Temperature | NO-GO if temperature <40°F or >95°F |
Temperature (at Pad)
| Tanking | NO-GO if 24-hour average temperature at 132.5 ft and 257.5 ft is <41.4°F |
|---|---|
| Max Temperature | NO-GO if temperature >94.5°F for 30 consecutive minutes at both tower levels |
| Min Temperature | NO-GO if temperature drops below constraint (38°F–49°F depending on wind/humidity) for 30 consecutive minutes |
Wind
| Liftoff Winds | NO-GO if peak winds exceed 29–39 knots between 132.5 ft and 457.5 ft |
|---|---|
| Upper-Level Winds | NO-GO if conditions could cause launch vehicle control problems |
Precipitation
| Rain | NO-GO Do not launch through any precipitation |
|---|
Lightning
| Tanking | NO-GO if lightning forecast >20% within 5 nautical miles during tanking |
|---|---|
| Recent Lightning | NO-GO for 30 minutes after lightning observed within 10 NM of flight path (unless specific conditions met) |
| Active Thunderstorm | NO-GO if flight path within 10 NM of thunderstorm producing lightning (30-minute wait after last discharge) |
| Attached Anvil Cloud | NO-GO if within 10 NM unless temperature, time, and distance criteria are met |
| Detached Anvil Cloud | NO-GO if within 10 NM unless temperature, time since detachment, and distance criteria are met |
Clouds
| Debris Cloud | NO-GO if within 3 NM of thunderstorm debris cloud for 3 hours (unless criteria met) |
|---|---|
| Disturbed Weather | NO-GO if within 5 NM of clouds extending into freezing temps with moderate+ precipitation |
| Thick Cloud Layer | NO-GO through clouds within 5 NM that are >4,500 ft thick and extend into freezing temps (unless criteria met) |
| Cumulus Clouds | NO-GO if within 10 NM of cumulus with certain distance/height criteria |
| Smoke Plume Clouds | NO-GO through cumulus formed from smoke plume unless >60 minutes since detachment |
| Electric Field | NO-GO for 15 minutes if field mill readings within 5 NM exceed ±1,500 V/m (or ±1,000 V/m without caveats) |
Solar Activity
| Solar Energetic Particles | NO-GO during severe or extreme solar activity that could damage electronics or disrupt radio communication |
|---|