Launch commit criteria

These criteria relate to safety[citation needed] issues and the general success of the launch, as opposed to supplemental data.

Weather forecasts were provided by the 45th Weather Squadron at nearby Patrick Air Force Base with concerns such as thunderstorms, winds, low cloud ceilings, or anvil clouds noted in the report.

Tanking was not to begin if the 24-hour average temperature had been below 41 °F (5 °C), the wind was observed or forecast to exceed 42 knots (78 km/h; 48 mph) for the next three-hour period, or there was a forecast to be greater than a 20% chance of lightning within five nautical miles of the launch pad during the first hour of tanking.

After tanking began, the countdown must not be continued, nor the Shuttle launched, if any of the following weather criteria were exceeded:[6] Once propellant loading had begun, the countdown was to be stopped if the temperature remained above 99 °F (37 °C) for more than 30 consecutive minutes.

In no case was the space shuttle to be launched if the temperature was 35 °F (2 °C) degrees or colder.