Is NASA’s SLS Doomed?

[wiggy]

From NASA and elsewhere:

No further launch attempts in this window.

Vehicle may need to be rolled back to the VAB for work and possibly to avoid conflict with a launch off the adjacent pad.

There's a window late Sept but those dates are slightly sub-optimal...this comment from space flight commentator Robert Pearlman on the collectspace forum:

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1. The launch day must account for the Moon's position in its lunar cycle so that the SLS rocket’s upper stage can time the trans-lunar injection burn with enough performance to successfully intercept the "on ramp" for the lunar distant retrograde orbit.
   
2. The resulting trajectory for a given day must ensure Orion is not in darkness for more than 90 minutes at a time so that the solar array wings can receive and convert sunlight to electricity and the spacecraft can maintain an optimal temperature range.
   
3. The launch date must support a trajectory that allows for the skip entry technique planned during Orion’s return to Earth.
   
4. The launch date must support daylight conditions for Orion’s splashdown to initially assist recovery personnel when they locate, secure, and retrieve the spacecraft from the Pacific Ocean.

The current span of acceptable launch dates ends on Sept. 6. The next period opens on Sept. 19 and runs through Oct. 4 (excluding Sept. 29 and Sept. 30).That said, the next set of launch opportunities results in a much shorter mission duration, so NASA may opt to target Oct. 17 to Oct. 31 (excluding Oct. 24, 25, 26, and 28) instead, to preserve the "long" mission profile.

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