NASA checking Artemis rocket for damage after Nicole’s 100mph winds

NASA is in the process of inspecting the Artemis I mission’s giant rocket for damage in the wake of Hurricane Nicole, which unexpectedly battered the launch site with 100 miles per hour winds. According to the space agency, visual inspections of the 322-feet-tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion space capsule suggest that neither have suffered major damage from the extreme weather. However, further checks on the craft and the launch site at the Kennedy Space Center will be needed to confirm the initial assessment, said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free.In a tweet, Mr Free said: ‘Peak conditions for Nicole have passed at NASA Kennedy.’Our team is conducting initial visual check-outs of the rocket, spacecraft, and ground system equipment with the cameras at the launch pad.’Camera inspections show very minor damage such as loose caulk and tears in weather coverings.’The team will conduct additional onsite walk down inspection of the vehicle soon.’ NASA is inspecting the Artemis I mission’s giant rocket for damage in the wake of Hurricane Nicole (Image: Getty Images) Pictured: damage to properties along Florida’s Daytona Beach in the wake of Hurricane Nicole (Image: Getty Images)Mr Free initially reported that wind sensors at the launch pad recorded peak wind gusts of up to 82 miles per hour at the 60-foot level.However, a NASA spokesperson later told CNN News that sensors atop one of the lightning towers surrounding the launch pad, at a height of 230 feet, recorded winds gusting up to 100 miles per hour.Despite this, sustained wind speeds recorded by this sensor only reached 75 miles per hour.This is well within the rocket’s wind tolerance, with the SLS rated as safe to withstand sustained – rather than peak – winds up to a threshold of 85 miles per hour.READ MORE: Artemis base could be built from bricks made from Moon rocks Pictured: A property in Florida’s Daytona Beach area left flooded in the wake of Hurricane Nicole (Image: Getty Images) The SLS rocket is rated to withstand sustained wind speeds of up to 85 mph on its launch pad (Image: Express.co.uk)Nicole’s strength was unexpected – being the first hurricane to strike the US in the month of November in nearly four decades.When NASA made the decision to roll the SLS back out to its launch pad on November 3, Nicole had not yet been upgraded into a named storm, with expected wind speeds of only 40–46 miles per hour.Mr Free continued: ‘We took the decision to keep Orion and SLS at the launch pad very seriously, reviewing the data in front of us and making the best decision possible with high uncertainty in predicting the weather four days out.’With the unexpected change to the forecast, returning to the Vehicle Assembly Building [as the rocket did before Hurricane Ian in September] was deemed to be too risky in high winds.’The team decided the launch pad was the safest place for the rocket to weather the storm.’It remains to be seen whether the damage to the SLS is indeed only minor – and what impact Nicole’s passage over Florida will have on NASA’s plans to launch the Artemis I mission next Wednesday.DON’T MISS:Mysterious white blob washed up on Cornish beach eludes identification [REPORT]Britons told energy saving log burners now ‘increase health risk’ [ANALYSIS]Defence system could ‘change Ukraine war’ and devastate Russia [INSIGHT] Pictured: a map of the route the Artemis I mission will take – after it launches (Image: NASA)In the immediate wake of the hurricane, however, Mr Free said NASA’s focus is first ‘on our employees, and then getting back into launch operations.”Many people are without power and have experienced high winds and broken tree branches at their homes.”We are grateful to the Space Force, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Hurricane Center for their continued and steadfast support with valuable data.’This, he explained, ‘helps us make informed decisions and proves the science we’ll conduct on Artemis starts right here on planet Earth.’