A spaceport or cosmodrome is a site for launching spacecraft, by analogy with seaport for ships or airport for aircraft. In rocketry, major spaceports (such as Centre Spatial Guyanais or Cape Canaveral Air Force Station) often include more than one launch complex, each of which may have more than one launch pad. Spaceports like the Mojave Spaceport include runways for takeoff and landing of rocket-powered aircraft like SpaceShipOne.
Placement considerations
Launches from near the equator in an easterly direction are preferred, as they maximize use of the Earth's rotational speed, and a good orientation for arriving at a geostationary orbit. For polar or Molniya orbits this does not apply. For safety, a launch from a location where the rocket range extends over water or deserted land is important. Typically a spaceport site is large enough that, should a vehicle explode, it will not endanger human lives or adjacent launch pads.
Space tourism
The space tourism industry is being targeted by spaceports in numerous locations: Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, California, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Florida, Virginia 1, Alaska and Wisconsin in the United States, Russia's Baikonur spaceport and possibly an Australian site to be developed for the launching of Russian spacecraft.2 Kiruna, Sweden is also planning to use Esrange as a spaceport [1]. Virgin Galactic is planning a spaceport in Portugal [2]
Future spaceports
It is believed that future hypersonic aircraft will require a very long runway rather than a vertical launch pad. Such hypothetical spaceports will present unique challenges in noise abatement, zoning, and passenger access, with as much as a 5 mile wide corridor surrounding a 30 mile long runway. A dedicated mass transit system from the nearest public access point to the aircraft boarding area may be required.
See also
References
External links
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