Preliminary Design Specifications for a Model Meteorological Facility at a Space Operations Site

Weather is a key element in space launch/recovery operations. The accumulated variance of weather - the climate - is a critical element of system design and, ideally, of the choice of the site of operation. The meteorological elements most relevant to launch operations are lightning; wind and associated turbulence; vertical temperature and moisture profile. In the special case of vehicle or component recovery, also important are the sea state, visibility and wind conditions at recovery sites; and the occurrence and size distribution of lithometeors and hydrometeors in the atmosphere. These parameters must be forecast with high precision, generally over limited domains of space and time. This 'nowcasting' requirement is fundamentally different to the needs of general aviation, and the normal functions of a national meteorological service. Site meteorological requirements would best be served by an autonomous facility staffed by specialists familiar with operational requirements of the space industry. Preliminary design specifications of a 'model' meteorological support facility are presented. The cost and complexity may be considerably greater than previously thought.