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Weather Delays Two NASA Launches
RocketAcademy writes "Weather has delayed two NASA launches which were scheduled for today: an Atlas launch from Cape Canaveral carrying two Radiation Belt Storm Probe satellites and a Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding-rocket launch from Wallops Island, Virginia carrying four student experiments. The susceptibility to weather delays is a problem for current launch systems."
That's no way to talk about Freshmen.
Slow news day?
For those who care, the Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) (http://rbsp.jhuapl.edu/spacecraft/instruments/instruments_emfisis.php) is running the free real-time OS RTEMS.
"Susceptibility to weather delays" is a problem for many things, like high school baseball games, outdoor weddings, parades, the morning run, fastidious hair styles. That's especially true when, you know, a hurricane is in the neighborhood.
Here's the thing: Real space travel needs to begin and end in space. Low Earth orbit is the equivalent of tooling around the harbor.
-- Slashdot: When Public Access TV Says "No"
Not sure what you're saying, and obviously I don't know the guy, but I'd imagine he wouldn't want NASA to stop their work on his account.
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Yes. The ISS is great, but we need a "moveable" ISS next -- a constantly running "ferry" if you will -- that never lands back on a planet but just steadfastly carries people/cargo between low earth orbit and low mars orbit.
RTFA, the first delay was due to people violating the launch safety zone in boats. I don't mind weather interfering occasionally, but people ignoring warnings is a big problem.
I think they should have launched even with the clear zone violations. Serves them right if a rocket landed on them. Think of it as evolution in action.
There are lots of reasons for weather delays of rocket launches, but one of them is wind. I've been told (by actual rocket scientists, with only a few Green Martians* in them at the time) that there are two critical factors related to wind -- the wind speed itself and its variability, i.e., gusts -- and that the reasons both trace back to the limitations of the directional-control system of the engines (i.e., the gimbals) and the guidance system of the rocket.
The limitation on maximum wind speed is related to the range of control of the engines (i.e., how many degrees off the axis of the rocket the engines can point), since that eventually works back to how large a wind-compensating vector is available to the guidance system. The gust limitation is related to the response speed (slew rate) of the engine gimbals, since that eventually works back to how fast the guidance system can respond to changes in wind speed and/or direction.
________
*Equal parts vodka, Midori, sour mix, ginger ale, 7-Up, and soda, in case you're curious. Once a favorite of that crowd, back in the day.
because dog breeding isn't rocket science ya know...
Weather may also be affecting the birds.
The question is, which kind of weather affects them more?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-19374950
I thought that comment was a bit off as well. There are usually multiple launch windows to reach whatever orbit / planetary alignment the payload requires, and on rare occasions things do come down to the wire, but usually there is ample cushion to work around the weather. The only other issue is if a launch area had so many launches lined up that they would get backed up, but I really don't think that's a problem. Actually there are lots of facilities vying for launches, especially since NASA is using more commercial providers and disseminating what was pretty much a monopoly at Cape Canaveral.
Regardless, even if the launch system could fly through a hurricane, it is best to have good weather for multiple visual and radar observations of the launch in case anything goes wrong.
Better known as 318230.
Really, we should fire off a 21 rocket salute to the man.
And this is another reason to start a lunar base/launch facility. Very few weather problems, other than solar flares.
Weather paying respect to Apollo 11
By killing Haitians?? That's a weird definition of 'respect'...
[Global Warming] Delays Two NASA Launches
> and a Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding-rocket launch
Can someone parse this sentence?
A dog-improved dog that sounds like a barking dog rocket, wut? I gave up after going about 4 clicks deep.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
Most computer experts now agree that Linux is, without exception, less secure and less reliable than commercial alternatives such as Mac OS X Server. However, many IT departments insist on using the "free" software, which they rationalize to management by pointing out the initial cost difference, because they have a perverse incentive to do so. A reliable operating system would mean less maintenance work and therefore cuts to IT budgets.
It's well known that Mac OS doesn't get viruses, but many Fortune 500 companies are still using the hackers' choice for operating systems (based on its open, easy to penetrate nature) because of this IT department scam.
How many more space ships have to be lost?
Sgt. Shaved Balls, a damn good space technician.
I really don't know what bad weather has to do with rocket launches.
These things fly very fast, basically straight up and would do so through clouds and bad weather.
So what's the issue(s)?
Don't be apathetic. Procrastinate!
Is there an actual problem with the weather, or are we just being wimpy? When is the last time weather destroyed a rocket in flight? We're being too careful if this isn't a decent portion (perhaps 10%) of the failures.
You're going to lose a few rockets anyway. If you don't even up the causes of failure, you're being pointlessly reckless in some areas while being pointlessly fearful in others.
"Low Earth orbit is the equivalent of tooling around the harbor." Funny thing. None of the people who say that have even made it out into the harbor.