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I think that "launch" should mean here to launch the kind of orbital class mission that could send supplies to a space station or (in the case of the movie) rescue some stranded astronauts.

It would make an epic photo!

enter image description here

Some things to consider:

  1. The rocket will probably need to be secured within a hurricane-proof building until the eye reaches the launch site.
  2. It will take some time to get the rocket from that building to the pad, fuel it, and launch it.
  3. Let's assume that it will take 10 hours for this eye to pass over the launch site.
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  • $\begingroup$ [+1] Here's some less "epic" scenes from ISS 1. 2, 3 I think there's a Soyuz reentry seen from ISS post also, but I can't find it right now. $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Commented Aug 30 at 6:40
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    $\begingroup$ Weather in part of the downrange abort zone for a crewed launch would likely be out of limits, to put it mildly. So probably uncrewed launches only. Unless you have Gregory Peck running things that is. $\endgroup$
    – Steve Pemberton
    Commented Aug 30 at 10:44
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    $\begingroup$ FYI, an eye taking 10 hours to pass over is wholly implausible. In fact, entire hurricanes generally take less than 10 hours to pass over a fixed point. Ten minutes is roughly what you'll have for the eye. $\endgroup$
    – Charles Staats
    Commented Aug 30 at 15:08
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    $\begingroup$ @GregMiller they’re entirely different loading regimes. Rockets are built to withstand a lot of vertical force but a lot less horizontal. Obviously they’re not entirely flimsy horizontally, but the SLS for example is rated for 137 kph winds. Phil’s point about debris is also pertinent $\endgroup$
    – fyrepenguin
    Commented Aug 30 at 17:12
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    $\begingroup$ STS-115 (Atlantis) in September 2006 was being rolled back to the VAB from pad 39B because a passing hurricane was forecast to cause winds speeds at the pad greater than 202 km/h which was the maximum allowed for a Shuttle sitting outdoors. However during the several hour long trip back to the VAB the weather forecast improved, so they stopped the rollback and brought Atlantis back to pad 39B. It launched a few days later. The only Shuttle to ever do a (figurative) U-turn on the crawlerway. $\endgroup$
    – Steve Pemberton
    Commented Aug 30 at 20:41

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update: It seems I can only address the "possible to launch" part, but not the "possible to fuel first" or "possible to move over a big hole for the exhaust first" part.

Yes, with the operative word being "possible".

I have some first-hand experience, with the eye of a typhoon passing pretty-much overhead (that's what hurricanes are called here). The wind stopped, period. I could open my windows, it was quite calm. Unfortunately, even though it was night, I didn't see starts because I was too scared to leave my apartment, but certainly there is enough photographic evidence on the internet that the sky is clear. They fly planes in eyes.

Wikipedia's Eye (cyclone) confirms what we can guess, that the rotation and wind go to near zero in the center.

It also confirms that the eye gets wider as you go higher, better allowing for a curved trajectory that might not be the same direction that the system is moving.

There are plenty of risks, it's not guaranteed, but it is certainly possible.

Maysak seen from the ISS 3. Fly00449 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library

Sources Maysak seen from the ISS 3. and File:Fly00449 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library.jpg

Awesome view of the hurricane's eye from the ground (Photo Credit Jim Edds) Eye of Hurricane Michael, just west of Mexico Beach, FL 10/10/2018

Sources: Reddit Awesome view of the hurricane's eye from the ground (Photo Credit Jim Edds) and Eye of Hurricane Michael, just west of Mexico Beach, FL 10/10/2018

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    $\begingroup$ I like that you had firsthand experience! I'm also wondering if it's possible to get the rocket out of whatever hurricane-proof building that its prepped in, out onto the launch pad, and fueled up in the time that hurricane's eye passes over. I probably should have been clearer about that in the question. $\endgroup$
    – phil1008
    Commented Aug 30 at 7:36
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    $\begingroup$ @phil1008 well why don't you go back and update your question because that's a pretty important consideration. I'll keep an "eye" on it and edit this answer accordingly :-) One DOES have to get fuel into a rocket to launch it and that would be pretty hard to bring to the rocket. One doesn't have to worry about destroying the launch site if it's an emergency (I didn't see the movie so lack context) but fueling seems to be a serious challenge. It all sounds really really unlikely, unless the hurricane stops moving (which they do do occasionally) $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Commented Aug 30 at 7:55
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    $\begingroup$ It takes only 3.5 hours to fuel Ariane 6 and it is already conveniently standing over the big hole (they move the building rather than the rocket). $\endgroup$
    – Ludo
    Commented Aug 30 at 8:32
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    $\begingroup$ @phil1008 as I recall, they left Artemis 1 out on the pad during a hurricane, though I don’t think it was a direct hit $\endgroup$
    – fyrepenguin
    Commented Aug 30 at 9:15
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    $\begingroup$ @ScienceSnake no, they considered rolling it back but they were also worried about wear and tear from the vibration/etc of the transport, so they left it out. spacenews.com/… $\endgroup$
    – fyrepenguin
    Commented Aug 30 at 17:07

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