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Watching the broadcast, it appeared that they launched _westward_ off the coast of California. That seems very weird to me, since my understanding is that you c
by thenewwazoo 10y ago
Watching the broadcast, it appeared that they launched _westward_ off the coast of California. That seems very weird to me, since my understanding is that you can use the not-insignificant rotation of the earth as "free energy" to achieve orbital speed.
Did they launch westward? Why?
- tamcap 10y agoIridium sats are in polar orbits. Launches for those inclinations are done from the west coast due to geographical constraints. Also, I believe it makes them travel "backwards" to other (most?) sats.
- Klathmon 10y agoWell not so much "backwards" as perpendicular.
- ygra 10y agoThe target orbit is a polar one. For those you actually have to cancel that "free energy".
- secabeen 10y agoClose. In this case, they launched mostly south. Vandenberg was created to give the US a polar launch capability. You can't launch southbound from Florida, as the launch would pass right over Miami.
- thenewwazoo 10y agoNeat! Thanks! It was an artifact of the rendering that made it look westward, but I can absolutely see how it could have been South. Makes sense!
- walrus01 10y agoWell you could, if you were reckless, like China... Have you seen the videos of a failed first stage that fell on a village about 10+ years ago?
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- lmm 10y agoThe satellites need to end up in a polar orbit (i.e. they need to be moving directly north or south). So they launched south and slightly west - just enough that the westward thrust would cancel out that "free energy" from the rotation of the earth.