Tropical weather threatens Monday’s scheduled Atlas 5 launch

Plans to launch a Navy communications satellite aboard an Atlas 5 rocket early Monday could be interrupted by Tropical Storm Erika, expected to strengthen into a hurricane, as the cyclone puts its sights on Florida. Officials could decide during the Launch Readiness Review on Friday, or perhaps as late as early Saturday, whether to proceed with rollout of the rocket from its assembly building to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral’s Complex 41 around mid-morning Saturday. An on-time rollout Saturday would preserve the chance of trying to launch as planned Monday. But officials could, instead, choose to leave the 206-foot-tall booster in the safe confines of the hangar until the storm passes. More

(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Aug 28)