Weather and Winds
Why aren’t winds considered part of the weather forecast? According to NASA TV Commentator George Diller, winds actually are a flight dynamics concern. Upper level wind criteria are determined by United Launch Alliance engineers. The winds a vehicle encounters during flight through the area of maximum aerodynamic pressure, or max Q, can have an impact on the vehicle’s navigation. “It’s an engineering issue, as opposed to a weather issue,” Diller explained.
