Date of Award
3-26-2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Operations Research
Department
Department of Operational Sciences
First Advisor
Andrew J. Geyer, PhD
Abstract
Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Station, FL, where the Air Force conducts space launches, are in an area of frequent lightning strikes, which is main obstacle in meeting launch goals. The 45th Weather Squadron (45th WS) ensures that any weather safety requirements are met during pre-launch and actual space launch. Using only summer months from three years’ worth of lightning detection and ranging (LDAR) and electric field mill (EFM) data from KSC, several feedforward neural networks are constructed. Separate models are built for each EFM and trained by adjusting parameters to forecast lightning 30 minutes out in the surrounding area of each field mill.
AFIT Designator
AFIT-ENS-MS-20-M-138
DTIC Accession Number
AD1101340
Recommended Citation
Cheng, Anson, "Lightning Prediction for Space Launch Using Machine Learning Based Off of Electric Field Mills and Lightning Detection and Ranging Data" (2020). Theses and Dissertations. 3194.
https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/3194