--- title: "NASA Inspecting Moon Rocket for Damage From Hurricane Nicole" description: "Winds reached 87 knots or 100 mph at the launch pad of NASA's SLS Moon rocket, which may have damaged it." date: "2022-11-10" modified: "2022-11-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-inspecting-moon-rocket-damage-hurricane-nicole" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "artemis 1" - "NASA" - "sls" - "the digest" --- # NASA Inspecting Moon Rocket for Damage From Hurricane Nicole ![Winds reached 87 knots or 100 mph at the launch pad of NASA's SLS Moon rocket, which may have damaged it.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Gust Buster The winds really started to pick up at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as Hurricane Nicole made landfall earlier today. And that's bad news, as the agency's uber-expensive Space Launch System (SLS) Moon rocket is currently sitting on the launch pad, [fully exposed to the elements](), awaiting its November 14 launch attempt next week. Now, engineers are starting their inspections, ensuring the rocket weathered the storm intact and is ready for prime time. ## Hurri-Can't Winds reached [87 knots]() (about 100 mph) at the site, in strong hurricane-level gusts that were forecast by the National Weather Service. Earlier this week, the National Hurricane Center predicted a [15 percent chance]() of hurricane-grade winds at the launch site — which appear to have materialized, [*Ars Technica* reports](). And that's a problem: while NASA claimed on Tuesday that "high winds that are not expected to exceed the SLS design," according to documentation, the rocket is only designed to [withstand gusts of up to 74.4 knots](). "Almost certainly there is some safety margin above 74.4 knots, but is it 15 or 20 percent higher?" *Ars*' Eric Berger [tweeted](). "Rockets are simply not designed to be battered like this by sideways winds for hours and hours." https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/1590669297705066496 ## Inspecting the Damage Now, engineers are starting to inspect the rocket to see if the winds have left a mark. "I am imagining, if the rocket is exposed to excessive winds, the effort that will ensue to redo the structural analysis and convince everyone to sign the waiver to let it fly," former NASA space shuttle engineer Phil Metzger [tweeted](). "It’s gonna be a busy couple of weeks for NASA structural engineers." In short, the SLS rollout was one big gamble. As *Ars* points out, it would've taken days for NASA to roll its massive rocket back in to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where the rocket spent the last couple of months following several [failed launch attempts]() earlier this year. Where that leaves next week's launch attempt remains to be seen. NASA is giving itself until Sunday evening to make the call. It's a scary moment for NASA: billions of dollars were literally exposed to the elements. All we can do is hope it held up. **READ MORE:** [NASA leaves its Artemis I rocket exposed to winds above design limits]() \[*Ars Technica*\] **More on the rocket:** *[NASA Watches Nervously as Hurricane Threatens Exposed Moon Rocket]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()