S
Spyhund
Guest
Something I've wondered for a number of years as I've watched many a shuttle grounded due to weather is why we launch these flights from an area prone to inclement weather and even hurricanes. Reading now that each shuttle scrub costs over a million dollars, I again wonder why they don't launch from someplace like the deserts of New Mexico or Arizona where the weather would almost always be favorable for launching. While $1.2 million isn't a lot in the overall scheme of NASA's budget, in an agency that is increasingly starved for funding every little bit helps. And over time with all of the launch scrubs this really adds up to a sizeable chunk of money. Though the answer probably has more to do with politics than anything, is there some advantage to launching at KSC that makes dealing with the volatile weather worth it?