Talk:Launch window

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I've been bold and added this page to Wikipedia:WikiProject Space exploration as mid-importance because the concept covered by the article helps define which space exploration missions are practical to acheive. Discussion appreciated! Sdsds 20:33, 9 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It is always important to preserve the correct terminology and history of words that originated during the early days of the space program. The term LAUNCH PERIOD (not Launch Window) has been used to represent that period of typically 20-30 days when the planets are in favorable alignment for a launch from Earth to some other solar system body. Serious rocket scientists, mission designers, navigators, and the older project managers have used the correct term for the past 50 years … but the media (and even NASA) quite frequently use the term Launch Window. Even one or two of the newer managers at JPL slip up occasionally and use the term Launch Window when they should be using the correct term Launch Period.

All was well during the first 20-25 years of the space program until a writer from the press published a story in which he incorrectly used the term Launch Window … and the rest is history gone awry, altered from the true terminology. Ironically, we did use the term “Daily Firing Window” for that short time interval of an hour or so on each day of the Launch Period when it was possible to initiate lift-off. But you don’t hear that term much anymore. In fact, one of the JPL Voyager news bulletins in the latter 1970s even changed that term from daily firing window to launch window, but clearly referring to the one-hour window for lift-off on one of the days in the launch period.

Finally, Wikipedia has it wrong at the moment, but is willing to correct the usage if NASA shows some effort to do so. I have notified the JPL Office of Communications and Education to make an effort to release articles that use the correct term Launch Period in an effort to preserve our true history at JPL. I have also notified NASA of this situation, and their historian has begun to research the subject. If need be, I can get several of the early project managers at JPL to attest to the correct usage, including even some space program archivists.

Sincerely,

Charles Kohlhase Kohlhase (talk) 16:18, 1 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Sounds helpful. If you have a set of good sources for the other usage, recommend you put them onto this Discussion page, with titles, dates, URLs, etc. Then if noone responds to deal with that info, recommend you add a short msg to the Talk page of any editor who has previously showed interest in this article. If necessary, I would be happy to help. N2e (talk) 12:33, 26 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I heard on the radio that there was to be 3 Mars missions coming up this launch period. I wonder if the nice graph can be updated and perhaps even extended for a cycle or two for people who are keen to see the future timing.

Idyllic press (talk) 13:36, 6 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]