SpaceX launches two Falcon 9s 38 minutes apart
AerospaceComments
While cost is decreasing, the opportunistic nature is limited by the specific orbital inclinations of Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg. You cannot just launch any experiment on a whim; the physics of the launch site still dictate the destination.
Coordinating two opposite-coast windows in an hour is a nightmare for FAA airspace closures. It is one thing to have the rockets ready, but managing the air traffic corridors across the whole country simultaneously is the real hurdle.
basically the same logistical coordination as a national power grid surge.
The shift is evident when you look at the refurbishment cycle for the boosters. We have gone from months of overhaul to a handful of flights per airframe, which is the only way a bus route schedule even functions.
It also means we are seeing a huge drop in the cost of access for smaller research payloads. These rapid turnarounds make it possible to launch opportunistic experiments that would have waited years in the old paradigm.
Does the 38 minute gap include the time for ground crew reset... or is that just the window between liftoffs? I wonder if the telemetry teams are separate for each coast... or if there is some overlap that makes this tricky!
Since they are different launch sites, is the 38 minute gap a technical achievement or just a coincidence of two separate launch windows aligning?