Launch Weather Decision Support System (LWDSS)

Understanding weather conditions leading up to, and including, day of launch is crucial to successful range and spaceport missions. Having accurate real-time meteorological measurements and as accurate as possible forecasts through the various mission stages and necessary vehicle recovery have a major impact on mission success.

WDSS partners with Radiometrics to provide the Launch Weather Decision Support System (LWDSS). The purpose of LWDSS is provide launch ranges and spaceports with meteorological instrumentation and decision support tools for staff meteorologists and non-meteorological users to enhance launch safety and reduce weather related mission scrubs. LWDSS is designed to support operational users from several days prior to launch, through T0 and recovery phase.

Radiometrics has provided LWDSS instrumentation to NASA at Cape Canaveral for mission support, including a stratospheric wind profiler, a tropospheric wind profiler, and radiometers.

LWDSS can be tailored to specific launch applications and sites and can include:

• Radar Wind Profilers
• Profiling Microwave Radiometers
• Sodars
• Surface Stations
• Lightning Data (lightning detection, field mills)
• Mobile or permanent Doppler Weather Radars
• High-resolution custom Numerical Weather Prediction forecasts
• Meteorological and non-meteorological decision support tools and displays
• Mobile apps
• Balloon launches as required
• Aircraft reconnaissance for triggered lightning conditions
• 24/7 meteorological forecast support if needed

WDSS can work with you and our industry partners to customize a LWDSS solution that meets your specific weather requirements to help assure launch safety and mission success.