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Why should every country be able to launch satellites? There are many countries which have no sea ports, yet they all need space ports?
by nickff 11y ago
Why should every country be able to launch satellites? There are many countries which have no sea ports, yet they all need space ports?
- EliRivers 11y agoThose landlocked countries do need sea ports too. It's just a bit harder to do anything about that without invading your neighbours.
- jacobr1 11y agoNo - they need access to sea ports which can be done easily via trade. Likewise they need access to satellites which also can be accomplished through trade.
- EliRivers 11y agoHonestly, the spectrum around here. You knows what's better than having someone else's removable permission to use their sea ports at their convenience on their terms? Having your own sea ports.
- Ntrails 11y agoAlthough even better than that is to sell your sea ports to a corporation and then rent them back at fair value in order to improve the country's finances.
- sremani 11y agoShould have the ability to build satellites and if geography permits should be able to launch them
- nickff 11y agoApologies for being repetitive, but you didn't answer my question. Why does a country need to be able to build and/or launch satellites? I really can't see any reason for it. There are many countries with little or no shipbuilding and/or port capabilities. Switzerland has done very well without a sea port, and I cannot imagine why any country needs satellite capabilities (aside from nationalism).
- sremani 11y agoThe advantages of Earth observing satellites in the arena of - telecommunications - navigation & mapping - meteorology - agriculture, mining etc. things that are part of both defense and commerce. >>and I cannot imagine why any country needs satellite capabilities (aside from nationalism).<< GPS ?
- nickff 11y agoThere is a strong case for there being satellite and launch providers/provisioners; this does not mean that every country needs their own.
- Retric 11y agoThere are some tiny 'countries' out there. If you can see the surface area of your country from a blimp then launching a satellite seems wasteful ex: Monaco, Nauru. I am sure Liechtenstein could do GPS from blimps / drones cheaper that even microsatellites, but why build your own receiver when GPS is cheap and your to tiny to matter militarily.
- noselasd 11y agoYou can buy such services using existing satellites, or buy the designing, manufacturing and launching of such a satellite - there's no inherent need for everyone to do all the steps domestically.
- sremani 11y agohttp://swisscube.epfl.ch/ http://swisscube.epfl.ch/
- IndianAstronaut 11y agoDid you read the article? They stated very specific reasons why they needed satellites. Things like monitoring deforestation, farmland, weather, etc.
- nickff 11y agoNeeding to have satellites and needing indigenous design/build/launch capabilities are very different. Most satellite users do not design, build, or launch their own satellites.
- scrumper 11y agoI don't know about every country, but the article lists some important reasons for Ghana to have the capability, namely combatting illegal mining and assistance with disaster relief. At the moment Ghana is reliant on foreign satellites, which aren't necessarily available when needed.
- psykovsky 11y agoJust because you don't have sea ports doesn't mean you can't have boats under your flag.