Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to A South Pacific spaceport by 2004?

Being on the equator is no advantage for polar orbits

In a true polar orbit, you get no assist from the Earth's rotation. That's one of the reasons why the same booster that can launch a given payload into a conventional LEO orbit may only be able to carry a little more than half the payload into a polar orbit.

The most useful high inclination orbits are actually slightly retrograde. These are "sun synchronous" orbits used by imaging satellites. However, being retrograde, you have to launch against the Earth's rotation. In this case, the same advantage you get from being near the equator for a conventional orbit works against you for a sun synchronous one. That's one reason why rockets used for high inclination orbits are often launched as far from the Equator as possible - such as the new launch site in Alaska or the Russian site at Plesetsk.

As for this company, I'll believe it when I see them fly. Websites come and go but actual flying hardware is rather scarce. If they can do it, fantastic. If not, oh, well.

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