Earlier this week, the launch of the Artemis I Lunar mission was canceled once again, and we now have to wait a while for the new launch date. But why can’t we send a rocket into space whenever we want? Why do we have to wait for a certain period of time?
Just 40 minutes before the Space Launch System rocket was ready to launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on September 3, a noticed leak in the fuel line prompted engineers to cancel the launch. The fact that we had to wait for the next launch window made you question why a rocket can’t be launched into space at any time.
Why can’t we launch a rocket whenever we want?
Launch range is like waiting for the stars to align for a celestial event. The rocket is literally “launched” from the Earth’s surface. This launch needs to be perfectly timed to ensure that the path of the spacecraft and everything it carries reaches its destination at the right time. You can think of it as throwing a basketball out the window of a driving car and throwing a basket into a moving basket in the other direction.
For Artemis I, which is on the mission to send the Orion capsule into lunar orbit, the “right time” means waiting for the Moon to be as close to Earth as possible (also known as “periphery”) during its 28-day cycle. Therefore, we know that our next chance for a launch to the Moon will be roughly four weeks from the date of cancellation.
Getting this timing right is critical, as much of its flight path depends on the aid of gravity from both Earth and the Moon, and we want the Orion capsule to return safely. Vehicles sent into space use the effects of these gravitational forces like a slingshot to reach the right speeds and go where they want. That’s why it’s so important to wait for the right time.
Orion is supposed to pass the Moon with this slingshot and not crash into it, so it is imperative that the exact point of launch, the positions of the Earth, the Moon, and the lunar capsule always be known.
The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope experienced a similar scenario. During that launch, mission controllers needed to make sure it didn’t crash into the Moon on its way to Lagrange Point 2, a gravitationally stable point between the Earth and the Sun. The launch of the telescope was delayed several times to avoid bad weather, and it was finally launched from French Guiana on an Ariane 5 rocket on Christmas Day 2021.
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