Data to predict weather years in advance
It takes years to develop plans for a successful and safe rocket launch. Because of this reality, NASA might have to choose a time and date to work toward several years before the actual rocket launch.
Because large amounts of data are available in a digital world, weather predictions are more accurate than they were in the past, even taking into account a changing climate. But, if you pay attention to weather forecasts made by your local weather reporter or meteorologist, you know that it can be a challenge to accurately predict weather just hours in advance. The stakes during a rocket launch are very high. If NASA schedules the launch for a day that ends up having a weather event, the decision to schedule that day might be life-threatening.
To help predict and analyze weather data, NASA partners closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA shares its data with the public, so you can begin to analyze the patterns and make the same predictions as NASA. You can access NOAA data several ways. At NOAA Data Access, you can find APIs that give access to NOAA data through code. You also can download data at no cost, or even order hard copies of data for a small fee.
NASA also collects its own data, which it makes available to the public. At Data.NASA.gov, you can find tens of thousands of datasets. NASA also provides developer resources for people who want to integrate NASA data into their applications.
Experts at NASA use all this data to ensure the best prediction possible, and to select a safe launch date.