The effect of schedule constraints on the success of planetary missions

Previous studies have shown that planetary missions have a significantly higher failure rate than earth-orbiting missions. One contributor to this higher failure rate appears to be schedule restrictions imposed on planetary missions by their fixed launch dates as opposed to the more relaxed launch schedules enjoyed in many cases by Earth-orbiting missions. Data will be presented showing the failure rates, planned vs. actual schedules, and other factors of planetary vs. Earth-orbiting missions that will test this hypothesis. Specific examples of this relationship will also be shown to further illustrate the correlation between fixed launch windows and an increased chance of mission failure.