Accuracy of the Global Forecast System at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

For space launch vehicles to safely launch, a vertical profile of atmospheric conditions along or near its trajectory is necessary. Traditionally this data has been gathered using a combination of weather balloons and other specialized instrumentation such as the Tropospheric Doppler Radar Wind Profiler (TDRWP). As numerical weather prediction has advanced, use in day-of-launch trajectory design and evaluations could provide engineers with an additional data source. A study has been performed to analyze the accuracy of wind, temperature, and humidity of the Global Forecast System (GFS) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). GFS forecasts within 24 hours of radiosondes releases and TDRWP profiles at CCSFS will be compared for the entirety of 2022.