Several buildings in Brevard were also declared unsafe. Nicole caused damage to some buildings in the region, including erosion that left dozens of buildings deemed unsafe in Volusia County, just to the north of the space center. (MORE: Weather Is Key To Rocket Launches ) The rocket, officially called Space Launch System, and its Orion capsule are designed to withstand winds on the launchpad up to 85 mph, according to NASA.Ī SpaceX Falcon 9 launch was also delayed due to Nicole. Peak gusts between 60 mph and 70 mph were measured at KSC, according to the National Weather Service. Hurricane Nicole came ashore early Thursday morning about 70 miles south of Kennedy Space Center. (MORE: Dozens Of Buildings Remain Unsafe In Florida After Hurricane Nicole )Įngineers had reviewed damage that Hurricane Nicole caused to caulk on the Orion capsule that sits atop the rocket, which was on the launchpad during the storm. Weather was 90% go ahead of this morning's launch. Liftoff was originally scheduled for Monday, but was pushed back due to Hurricane Nicole. The countdown was stalled at T-10 minutes while NASA dealt with technical issues. The launch came after multiple previous setbacks, including recent delays in the wake of hurricanes Ian and Nicole.

The Artemis 1 mission marks a major step toward NASA’s goal of taking humans back to the surface of the moon and, eventually, to Mars.

NASA’s Artemis moon rocket lifted off early this morning from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists.

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