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Having multiple launch sites is starting to make more sense. I guess they can be integrating and testing several at the same time. It seems like a very quick ra
by shirro 13y ago
Having multiple launch sites is starting to make more sense. I guess they can be integrating and testing several at the same time. It seems like a very quick ramp up. It will be interesting to see if they can keep to that schedule and launch a Falcon Heavy, recover a first stage and do a Dragon launch abort all in the same year.
- Sanddancer 13y agoMultiple sites makes sense for more than that. Different places on the globe are good for different sorts of launches. Vandenberg's better for polar launches, Canaveral is better for launches that are more equatorial in nature.
- rst 13y agoIn fact, if they'd tried either of their last two launches at Vandenberg, there would have been a very substantial performance penalty. From Canaveral, the rockets head generally eastward, in the direction of the eventual orbit. From Vandenberg, they can't --- it would take them over populated land. So, if you want to launch into an equatorial orbit from Vandenberg, you have to have the rocket initially head south, over water, and then turn. This wastes a lot of fuel, and it's not something anyone wants to do if they can avoid it. So, the SpaceX Manifest lists only two launches from Vandenberg in 2014 --- and one of them is the Falcon Heavy demo flight, for which no payload has yet been announced. Manifest here: http://www.spacex.com/missions http://www.spacex.com/missions