[ecosportpol_ru]

I don't know what the figures are, but the weeks-long and months-long delays have to be killer expensive -- if not in dollar figures, then at least in schedule compression and loss of good will from customers. Customers will stay with rocket companies that launch on time. Customers' confidence is increased by launching on time.

As far as I know, rocket companies pay an hourly rate to range employees. Then you probably rent radar, telemetry and communications resources. And SpaceX pays for the barge to recover the first stage. If you delay much, I'm sure the costs add up in ways that might not be readily apparent.

If you always launch on schedule, there's a positive reinforcement loop. Working from the Marshall Islands, the costs probably aren't that expensive. There is little human activity in the environs of the Marshall Islands. But at Cape Canaveral, the most expensive launch range, all sorts of restrictions are in place. Airline flights up and down the East coast are restricted during potential launch times, cops have to patrol the sea and beaches to make sure ships and beach bums don't come within the hazard zone, etc. All of those costs must add up something fierce.

Launch on time and you only have to pay once. If you are able to launch in all weather, that must be a great advantage. I seriously doubt that the Space Shuttle would have launched with the weather in the Marshall Islands yesterday, even though it looked pretty good from the webcast. On the YouTube clip, as the Falcon 1 passed through the clouds, there was lots of water on the rocket. The Falcon 1 can launch with 40 knots of wind so that delays are minimized, etc.