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Is there a reason launch pads tend to be on a shore?
by artursapek 10y ago
Is there a reason launch pads tend to be on a shore?
- zaphoyd 10y agoRockets generally want to fly over unpopulated areas to avoid raining debris on people should they explode. They get a boost as well when flying east due to the earths rotation. As a result, launch pads are located in areas where the rocket will be able to fly east over an ocean or unpopulated area.
- WalterBright 10y ago> a boost as well when flying east due to the earths rotation This will slow the earth's rotation slightly. Future generations will rue our profligate wastage of earth's angular momentum.
- bashinator 10y agoIf that's a problem, then I'll be a happy ancestor
- dotancohen 10y agoIf the hardware comes back down then it's returning the angular momentum on burn-up or landing. Only interplanetary hardware is robbing posterity of angular momentum.
- snowwrestler 10y agoStop Global Slowing!
- TeMPOraL 10y agoOr at least #SlowGlobalSlowing!
- AstralStorm 10y agoWe can always launch more rockets the other way.
- schoen 10y agoMy understanding is to make it less likely to hit populated areas in case of a launch failure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range_safety https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range_safety https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelsat_708 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelsat_708 There's an energy benefit for some launches at lower latitudes, but that's separate from being near an ocean: https://www.quora.com/Why-do-most-launches-to-orbit-take-place-at-low-latitudes https://www.quora.com/Why-do-most-launches-to-orbit-take-pla...
- benzofuran 10y agotypically it's for if things go poorly - a lot less mess to clean up if it's on the bottom of the sea