Author Topic: Britain plans to build commercial spaceport (Read 36366 times)

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #20 on:** 07/15/2014 11:34 am »

There's some decent resources for this now, so I may have a bash at knocking something together.

SimonShuttle · « **Reply #21 on:** 07/15/2014 11:51 am »

Commercial sat launches would take a hit due to the distance from the equator, but it'd work out quite nicely for polar launches?

topsphere · « **Reply #22 on:** 07/15/2014 11:56 am »

Just attended the UKSA press release at Farnborough. Interesting stuff and some good handouts but no real breaking news there...

RonM · « **Reply #23 on:** 07/15/2014 12:08 pm »

Quote from: SimonShuttle on 07/15/2014 11:51 am

Commercial sat launches would take a hit due to the distance from the equator, but it'd work out quite nicely for polar launches?

If Skylon is built, how far south can it fly while accelerating to over Mach 5 before it heads to orbit? Maybe the UK's high latitude isn't a problem for Skylon.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #24 on:** 07/15/2014 12:49 pm »

Quote from: SimonShuttle on 07/15/2014 11:51 am

Commercial sat launches would take a hit due to the distance from the equator, but it'd work out quite nicely for polar launches?

I assumed only polar launches would be viable too. Hopefully someone will provide a definitive answer in this thread.

A_M_Swallow · « **Reply #25 on:** 07/15/2014 01:20 pm »

The ISS flies over Heathrow airport so the Skylon may be able to get to it.

Is there any use for a British spacestation in polar orbit?

douglas100 · « **Reply #26 on:** 07/15/2014 01:56 pm »

It all depends what is going to fly from the proposed spaceport. If it's just SS2, then any airport with the right length of runway near the sea away from busy shipping routes would serve. If you're talking about launching to orbit, then I think I agree with Chris, polar orbits are the only option. (I'm not considering Skylon. If it's ever built it will make much more sense to fly it from somewhere near the equator.)

If so, then we're looking for sites with open ocean to the north. Those could include Norfolk (considered as a candidate for Black Arrow as already mentioned) the Moray Firth, Sutherland or Caithness. And if we're going to fly conventional LV's from such a site, it doesn't need to be near an airport as long as there are other means of delivering the vehicle.

My choice would be near Dounreay, but you would have to be careful about overflying Orkney. The rocket stages could be brought in by sea to Thurso (I'm thinking of a small LV in the Pegasus class) and trucked to the launch site. Personnel could fly into Thurso.

Having said that, don't hold your breath folks...

EDIT: spelling

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #27 on:** 07/15/2014 02:37 pm »

Alrighty then. Nothing flash here, just a write up with a sprinkling of "don't get carried away, but it is cool."

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/07/british-government-vision-uk-spaceport/

Prober · « **Reply #28 on:** 07/15/2014 02:48 pm »

The posts are interesting. Some show some internal UK politics rarely seen

Star One · « **Reply #29 on:** 07/15/2014 03:15 pm »

Quote from: Chris Bergin on 07/15/2014 02:37 pm

Alrighty then. Nothing flash here, just a write up with a sprinkling of "don't get carried away, but it is cool."

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/07/british-government-vision-uk-spaceport/

Nice article Chris.

Tomness · « **Reply #30 on:** 07/15/2014 04:00 pm »

Awesome article Chris. Forgive me for my US American history but does Britain have common wealth country at the equator that could handle Geo and Leo launch? Would they need to formally join ESA and use French Guiana?

A_M_Swallow · « **Reply #31 on:** 07/15/2014 04:21 pm »

The spaceport will need a long runway and special refuelling point. For the next 20 years the main passenger buildings could be a couple of portacabins. That is more than adequate for a place with only a couple of take-offs a day.

Kryten · « **Reply #32 on:** 07/15/2014 04:49 pm »

Quote from: Tomness on 07/15/2014 04:00 pm

Awesome article Chris. Forgive me for my US American history but does Britain have common wealth country at the equator that could handle Geo and Leo launch? Would they need to formally join ESA and use French Guiana?

A) Britain is already a member of the ESA.
B) The only commonwealth countries close the equator are Guyana and Kenya; Kenya has already been used for space launches the by the Italian space agency in the 60s.

yg1968 · « **Reply #33 on:** 07/15/2014 06:19 pm »

Here is a couple of reports relating to this announcement:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-paves-way-for-uk-spaceport
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/330212/Space_Port_Final.pdf

Alpha_Centauri · « **Reply #34 on:** 07/15/2014 09:27 pm »

Quote from: Tomness on 07/15/2014 04:00 pm

Awesome article Chris. Forgive me for my US American history but does Britain have common wealth country at the equator that could handle Geo and Leo launch?

Commonwealth countries are sovereign entities, would be no different to negotiating a launch site with any other foreign country.

The UK however still has some overseas territories, the most interesting as potential launch sites are Ascension Island and Diego Garcia.

Prober · « **Reply #35 on:** 07/16/2014 01:55 am »

Quote from: Alpha_Centauri on 07/15/2014 09:27 pm

Quote from: Tomness on 07/15/2014 04:00 pm
Awesome article Chris. Forgive me for my US American history but does Britain have common wealth country at the equator that could handle Geo and Leo launch?

Commonwealth countries are sovereign entities, would be no different to negotiating a launch site with any other foreign country.

The UK however still has some overseas territories, the most interesting as potential launch sites are Ascension Island and Diego Garcia.

how about the Falkland islands?

Robotbeat · « **Reply #36 on:** 07/16/2014 02:12 am »

Quote from: Prober on 07/16/2014 01:55 am

Quote from: Alpha_Centauri on 07/15/2014 09:27 pm
Quote from: Tomness on 07/15/2014 04:00 pm
Awesome article Chris. Forgive me for my US American history but does Britain have common wealth country at the equator that could handle Geo and Leo launch?

Commonwealth countries are sovereign entities, would be no different to negotiating a launch site with any other foreign country.

The UK however still has some overseas territories, the most interesting as potential launch sites are Ascension Island and Diego Garcia.

how about the Falkland islands?

Logistics sounds horrible.

baldusi · « **Reply #37 on:** 07/16/2014 02:19 am »

Quote from: Prober on 07/16/2014 01:55 am

Quote from: Alpha_Centauri on 07/15/2014 09:27 pm
Quote from: Tomness on 07/15/2014 04:00 pm
Awesome article Chris. Forgive me for my US American history but does Britain have common wealth country at the equator that could handle Geo and Leo launch?

Commonwealth countries are sovereign entities, would be no different to negotiating a launch site with any other foreign country.

The UK however still has some overseas territories, the most interesting as potential launch sites are Ascension Island and Diego Garcia.

how about the Falkland islands?

At 51S is right about at London's latitude, and logistics are a nightmare. Not only that, but you only have a very uncooperative neighbor and some part time Antarctic bases for tracking assets. And you'd have to overflight Argentinian EEZ of the Atlantic. That would mean that you'd need the cooperation of the Argentinian Coast Guard and/or Navy for clearing the overflight and drop zones.

mr. mark · « **Reply #38 on:** 07/16/2014 02:30 am »

Basing a spaceport on Skylon at best would be a long shot. The technology has not been proven out. I could see another home for Virgin Galactic. That would make more sense. At least that concept is close to success.

Borklund · « **Reply #39 on:** 07/16/2014 02:49 am »

Quote from: mr. mark on 07/16/2014 02:30 am

Basing a spaceport on Skylon at best would be a long shot. The technology has not been proven out. I could see another home for Virgin Galactic. That would make more sense. At least that concept is close to success.

That's debatable.