re: Yes, true.
The Earth is very unpredictable and that's why so many satellites study it.
I remember Von Braun once said the Moon was, once it was understood, very predictable and therefore safe. I first thought it was a strange argument. But then, it made sense. A world might be a challenge in the beginning. But once it is understood and not too many parameters are involved, then it becomes safe. One example is how quickly after Apollo 11 (which missed its landing spot by 7 km) , it was possible to achieve an extremely precise landing (Apollo 12 , 200 m from Surveyor 3).