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| Forward thinker and bold genius Elon Musk of SpaceX has the mindset to suggest the future construction of Starship 2.0 with a diameter of 18-meters and presumably a corresponding height of 240 meters. The fleet of rockets from SpaceX show a series of rockets increasing in size. Starship with the Super Heavy booster is larger than the Saturn 5 Moon rocket that took men to the Moon. By the time SpaceX gets to the development of Starship 2.0 and the reality of launching it, the massive high pressure force with fire and fiery of such a launch and the blast from at least a hundred Raptor engines will likely mandate an ocean launch site, away from people, homes, structures and traffic. By that time, Rocket Space Nation may be large enough to accommodate the launching of this future massive rocket to assure a platform of greater safety. (Teslarati/SpaceX) |
Ocean Rocket Launch Advantages
These are the advantages of equatorial ocean-based platform launches
1) The rotational speed of the Earth is greatest at the equator, providing an extra launch "boost."
2) The need for a "plane change" to the zero degree inclination of geostationary orbit is eliminated, providing a major extra launch "boost."
3) This allows 17.5%-25% more mass to be launched to geostationary orbit than the same rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, which is at 28.5 degrees north latitude.
4) Any orbital inclination could be reached, thus (for example) combining in one launch site the attainable inclinations of both Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg.
Advantages of ocean-based over a conventional land-based launch platform
1) An ocean launch reduces risks related to launching over populated areas, providing better safety to third parties.
2) Absence of range conflicts with other launch systems and a near total absence of ship or overhead air traffic that would constrain launch.
