Ricardo Valera Correa is the former chief of launches for the Brasillian space agency. He is Michel's launch director. It is his job to determine when the best opportunity for a safe launch is. Ricardo uses smaller helium balloons like this one to gauge wind speed of at ground level. The balloon is then let go and is tethered to the ground and rises to a few hundred feet. How much deviation from the vertical there is, gives a good indication of the wind speed over a range of altitudes, therefore providing valuable information to the team.
People often ask why it is so difficult to give a exact time for the launch? Some say that it is easy for Michel to communicate to the public that the launch is delayed because of the weather, but in reality the weather is a huge factor. The launch windows in spring and fall are very real. The challenge is very often simply that winds on the ground prevent safe deployment of the balloon. Launch team members always monitor weather conditions. They will determine when the best time to launch is through a variety of means.
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