May 14, 2018, 03:23 PM 
A Singaporean's plan to send a fellow Singaporean into space has been postponed.
This is due to changes in wind conditions, which came earlier than expected, that can compromise safety.
This sets the project back by another six to 12 months.
The leader of this project, GoSpace, is Marvyn Lim Seng, who is the founder of IN.Genius.
Great danger
According to GoSpace, atmospheric winds on the launch day are forecast to go as fast as 207km/h, which would put the astronaut in "great danger".
The deputy campaign director Patsy Ong, told Channel NewsAsia, that it is "too windy to send a man up in space":
"The wind has grown stronger and obviously the arrival of jet stream has definitely put a stop to our mission at this stage because it’s way out of our limits."
What is a jet stream?
A jet stream is a fast-moving air current found in the atmosphere. Changes in the intensity and direction of jet streams affect the weather and seasons.
Originally, the space capsule carrying the astronaut was to be launched on May 15 at 4.30am (Singapore time), from Alice Springs in Australia.
It would travel to the edge of space 20km away at the Armstrong Line, before the line to the helium balloon will be cut and the capsule begins its descent to the ground.
It would have been the furthest any Singaporean has gone.
The Singaporean spaceman
The spaceman is Yip Chuang Syn, a pilot who has been flying with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) for 20 years.
His identity had been a secret until this point, when it was reported by CNA.
An advisor to the mission, Professor Lui Pao Chuen, said that the project would probably be delayed up to six or 12 months when environmental conditions will be more favourable.
Previous delays
Lim Seng first announced his idea to send the first Singaporean into space in February 2013.
He aimed to do this using a stratospheric helium balloon used by space agencies like NASA to conduct scientific missions.
The flight was originally planned for take-off in 2015 during the SG50 celebrations, but faced delays due to various reasons.
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Here is GoSpace's official statement:
We cannot put our people in harm’s way. The weather is non-negotiable and our focus must always be on ensuring flight safety.
Over the past few weeks, the launch team has been monitoring atmospheric winds which unfortunately at 12km above sea level are forecast to be 112 knots (207km/h) on launch day. This will create too much wind shear that could put the astronaut in great danger.
We have been studying wind patterns in this area for the past 3 to 4 years (in month of April – May) but surprisingly, this year the jet stream has come in earlier.
In addition, it is known that in this part of the world in May, surface conditions are generally calm however, at present, they are still too strong to safely launch our very large and delicate helium balloon.
At IN.Genius, we take safety very seriously and weather factors are non-negotiable.
Based on our team’s findings and expert advice, the next possible window where environmental conditions are favourable will be 6-12 months later.
We would like to thank everyone involved in this momentous project. We are equally disappointed but we do not see this episode as a ‘failure to launch’ rather, a ‘necessary step towards impeccable flight safety.’ We have had many past flight tests that were affected by weather conditions and unfortunately, mother nature has the last say.
As professionals in this space, we must get everything technically ready and operationally we have to wait for the right window. We must not be governed by the clock and must always be focused on flight safety.
Top image via YouTube
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