| 45th Weather Squadron | |
|---|---|
 45th Weather Squadron Patch | |
| Active | 1991--present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch |  United States Space Force |
| Type | Squadron |
| Role | Weather surveillance |
| Part of | Space Launch Delta 45 |
| Garrison/HQ | Patrick Space Force Base,Florida |
45th Weather Squadron (45 WS),Space Launch Delta 45, atPatrick Space Force Base,Florida performs weather assessments for air and space operations; specifically, weather observations, forecasts, advisories, and warnings. It specialized in the weather assessments for theSpace Shuttle launches atKennedy Space Center (KSC) andCape Canaveral Space Force Station.[1][2]
The 45 WS provides comprehensive weather data and specialized services for the Eastern Range, such as for flight safety, resource protection (i.e. ground building and equipment), pre-launch ground processing, day-of-launch, post-launch, aviation, and special operations. These services are provided for more than 100 space launch countdowns per year for theDepartment of Defense (DOD), NASA, USAF, and commercial launch customers.[3]
The 45th Weather Squadron (Motto: "Exploit the Weather to Assure Access to Air and Space"[4]) atPatrick Space Force Base monitors weather aroundCape Canaveral, Florida, the location of the United States's busiest spaceports. The squadron decides if launches are allowed using strict safety guidelines; there are ten lightning-related rules, any one of which may prohibit a launch. If a customer-driven weather rule is exceeded, the squadron may recommend a delay to the launch customer.[5]
Rocket launches can triggerlightning strikes during flight;Apollo 12 was hit by lightning twice during ascent. Afteran Atlas-Centaur rocket was hit by lightning in 1987 and destroyed byrange safety, NASA and the Air Force formed an advisory panel with weather experts to develop guidelines for acceptable conditions. The 45th Weather Squadron uses the guidelines to permit rocket launches.[5]
Detachment 11 of the2nd Weather Squadron became the 45th Weather Squadron under the 45th Operations Group when the 45th Space Wing was activated in November 1991. Under either designation, the unit monitored the collection and analysis of all weather data pertinent to Patrick SFB, Cape Canaveral SFS, and Kennedy Space Center operations. The meteorologist provided briefings and forecasts, updated planning and program documents, and evaluated new weather instrumentation for possible use on the Eastern Range. In December 2005, 45 WS had 7 officers, 18 enlisted people and 9 civilians.[6]
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The 45th Weather Squadron patch was designed in 1993 byTechnical Sergeant Dave Rose andSenior Airman Tony Correa. The patch is composed of elements which depict the historical past of the 45th Weather Squadron. Two launch vehicles are shown rising above theEarth. One into a field ofblue (representing day) and the other into a field ofblack (representing night). This symbolizes the 45th WS’s ongoing mission which operates 24/7/365.
TheEarth is depicted as a blue disk bearinglatitude andlongitude lines. This is a reference to the days whenAir Weather Service was a part ofMilitary Airlift Command (MAC) and that same blue disk was featured on the MAC patch. The 4 stars in the blue field are a tribute to the 45th WS’s former affiliation with the 4th Weather Wing. The single star in the black field represents all the weather personnel who have died in the line of duty and are never forgotten.
The fleur de les andanemometer cups are a reference to when Air Weather Service was a part of theAmerican Expeditionary Forces inFrance duringWorld War I.
45 WS provided weather data toNASA's LightningLaunch Commit Criteria for Shuttle countdown procedures. For Shuttle landing criteria and site selection determination, the Shuttle’s in-flight weather support, including landing forecasts, was provided by the National Weather Service’sSpaceflight Meteorology Group (SMG) atJohnson Space Center (JSC), Texas, in joint with the 45th Weather Squadron. The 45th’s area of operation encompasses over 15,000,000 square miles (39,000,000 km2) of air, land, and sea that make up NASA's and the USAF's east coast flight range. The 45 WS provided data and decision criteria when a Shuttle was ferried back to KSC fromEdwards Air Force Base, California. This is where the Orbiter was mated on top of a modifiedBoeing 747, known as theShuttle Carrier Aircraft, for the return flight to KSC. Edwards AFB desert landing runway was the primary backup site for returning Orbiters when the weather is severe at KSC.[1]
Lightning at Kennedy Space Center is a major hazard for space flight. 45WS hopes to implement plan with a specific guideline for determining how long a lightning warning should be maintained after a particular discharge is observed prior to any space launches. The plan will include a joint research project withFlorida State University and will be using KSC's Lightning Detection and Ranging (LDAR) network. The LDAR data collection will permit the study of intracloud and cloud-to-ground discharges within isolated thunderstorms over the KSC.[7]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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| Detachments | Det 1, Det 2, Det 4, Det 5, 2015th | ||||||||