History is chock-full of pivotal moments where weather played a key role in the outcome, from Julius Caesar to the election of Mayors in Chicago and New York.

As a big history buff and meteorologist I am aware of many of them, but this story I had never heard before. It’s about America’s very first satellite launch.

In our Cold War space race with the Soviet Union the pressure was on to join the Russian enemy in space after they lunched Sputnik.

The U.S. first attempt was an embarrassing failure. A young meteorologist (Lt. John Meisenheimer) did not want to contribute to another.

That young meteorologist stood up to his superiors to prevent that from happening and made key forecasts for success.

Strong jet stream wind shear threatened to tear the rocket apart so the meteorologist said no. No-go on two consecutive days before the data showed a window within parameters.

My thanks to the Orlando Sentinel for permission to excerpt the story.

It was crucial that the man on top had his back even if his immediate supervisor was pushing for immediate launch. For that man (Major General Yates) was the meteorologist who gave General Eisenhower the D-day Invasion forecast crucial to Allied success in the WW II invasion of Normandy. So he told Meisenheimer to forecast it as he saw it no matter how long it took.

After another day, the FORECAST: GO.

The wind shear had in fact subsided and the Juno-1 Rocket lifted the Explorer 1 satellite into orbit on January 31, 1958.

I know what you mean sir, I know what you mean!

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