DirecTV satellite launched from Sea Launch ocean platform: Very cool
A DirecTV satellite was succesfully launched from an oceangoing platform in the equatorial Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, Sea Launch Co. said. […]
Sea Launch uses a self-propelled launch platform and a command ship that sail from Long Beach, Calif., to the equator, where the physics of Earth’s rotation allows rockets to carry heavier payloads than they could from other locations.
Here’s the official Sea Launch site with pictures of the platform.
Sea Launch Home Page: We talked about Sea Launch one year ago today, and apparently the concept is thriving. They're had about a dozen launches, it looks like. Sea Launch is a rocket plaform floating in the ocean. The platform takes rockets out to sea, near the equator where…
"to the equator, where the physics of Earth's rotation allows rockets to carry heavier payloads than they could from other locations."
I got to thinking about this, and essentially what they're doing is flinging stuff off the planet aided by the rotation of the Earth. Think about it -- you're moving faster through space at the equator, since it's the leading edge of the Earth's rotation. What they're doing is taking advantage of this by just chucking stuff way up in the air from this point. Right?