this post was submitted on 14 Nov 2024
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[–] grue 7 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

TIL Vandenberg Air Force Base got renamed.

Also, I'm pretty sure that one in Georgia doesn't actually exist.

[–] FlyingSquid 5 points 4 days ago

Not only does it not exist, plans to build it were scrapped a year ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceport_Camden

So I'm pretty sure it doesn't have an FAA license.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod 6 points 4 days ago

On clear days you can see launches from Wallops along the eastern seaboard. If Apollo had launched from there they could have seen it from NYC.

I used to live in the mountains in Maryland and watched them all the time, and even saw the light from the Antares explosion.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA 2 points 3 days ago

They closed all the launch sites in Utah? They built the fuckin minuteman there

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

For a second I thought these were places to escape the country from ... you know, for reasons.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

People have certainly left the country at some of these sites. But they are (almost) always brought back so it isn't a great escape route.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago (2 children)

why are they mostly in the south but then there's just randomly one in alaska

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 days ago

Closer to the equator means less fuel to orbit because the Earth spins fastest at the equator so you don't have to add as much delta-v.

The Alaska one I'd bet is for military ops or maybe polar satellite installations.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

The earth is widest at the equator and it spins along that axis, so it's easier / closer to get up into space.

Alaska probably just cause why not.