On 03-Oct-20 11:18 pm, David Spain wrote:
It's not just ULA's DIV-H that is have trouble getting off the ground.
SpaceX aborted its GPS-III launch last night at T-2 seconds.

As traffic picks up I wonder if it all that helpful to schedule
extremely narrow launch windows for uncrewed missions? Missing a narrow
launch window doesn't allow for a recycle, even for the most trivial of
fixes. Instead, a launch scrub pushes back on the schedule for
everyone. And not necessarily just at Canaveral.

Of course there is still weather. That is what it is. Launch schedules
have to all take in the somewhat unpredictable. But you can provide
yourself with options and fall-backs in lieu of scrubs. Not a big deal
when launching once or twice a year, but 30+ times?

We live in interesting times.

Dave


The launch time determines the orbital plane. Unless a mission is
insensitive to that there's little option but to wait until until the
narrow window reopens. A small amount of plane change after launch is
possible, but it consumes fuel

Sylvia.