British Spaceport

[Eric Mc]

Possible sites now published -

Campbeltown Airport,
Prestwick Airport,
RAF Kinloss,
RAF Leuchars,
RAF Lossiemouth
Stornoway Airport.
Llanbedr Airport (ex RAE Llanbedr)
Newquay (ex RAF St Mawgan)

Any thoughts on this?

[Hooli]

Stornoway has excellent transport links for people using it

[Simpo Two]

My thoughts are - what are we going to do with it? Have a fireworks party?

[CrutyRammers]

Sounds like they're including places just to say they've considered everything. Newquay? Only if you want to launch westwards, which most people don't.

[BertB]

Llanbedr would be excellent for me. Would probably be able to see the launches from my front garden.

I'd imagine the road transports links to it are going to go against it.

[Gargamel]

Needs to be in England. No point investing in Scotland.

Personally I'd go for Birmingham, ah wait no, its Birmingham for landing rockets.

[Eric Mc]

Listening to the press briefing on Farnborough Airshow Radio 106.8 at the moment.

[elster]

For the infrastructure available on site I would expect it to be Lossiemouth or Kinloss.

For location for people getting to it then Prestwick would be best by a country mile.

I can't see the National Parks being too keen on Llanbedr.

However I don't know enough about the details of what will be happening on the project.

[FunkyNige]

CrutyRammers said:

Sounds like they're including places just to say they've considered everything. Newquay? Only if you want to launch westwards, which most people don't.

As they're launching spaceplanes can they fly South for a bit then fly Eastwards? I'm guessing the only problem with flying over land is the sonic boom as they won't be jettisoning anything like the rockets would?

Genuine questions, I don't know how much of a plane the Virgin Galactic one or the planned British one (Skylon?) are.

[LimaDelta]

Spadeadam? Not much around and already has the launching infrastructure. Lick of paint and it'll be fine.

[CrutyRammers]

FunkyNige said:

CrutyRammers said:

Sounds like they're including places just to say they've considered everything. Newquay? Only if you want to launch westwards, which most people don't.

As they're launching spaceplanes can they fly South for a bit then fly Eastwards? I'm guessing the only problem with flying over land is the sonic boom as they won't be jettisoning anything like the rockets would?

Genuine questions, I don't know how much of a plane the Virgin Galactic one or the planned British one (Skylon?) are.

Not really the only problem. There are all the abort / disaster scenarios to consider. If your vehicle does a Challenger, or has to abort and ejects the crew somehow, you'll be raining vast quantities of debris over the heavily populated parts of Europe. Maybe when such stuff is as mature as current civil aircraft the risks will be acceptable, but so far everthing space-ey that I'm aware of involves vast empty areas downrange.

[rufusruffcutt]

From what I've read in the paper, the runway length is one of the most critical criteria. Apparently it needs to be more than 3000 metres (9800ft approx.) due to the speed at which the space planes will need to land at. The only runway on the list currently with 3000 metres plus is Cambeltown.

Also it needs a catchy name to engage with the public 'Cape Cameron' anyone?

[0000]

Gargamel said:

Needs to be in England. No point investing in Scotland.

Personally I'd go for Birmingham, ah wait no, its Birmingham for landing rockets.

It almost smells like someone saying "Look Scotland, stay in the Union and we'll give you spaceships!"

Operational by 2018? I'd really like to see something like this happen so I'll try and swallow my cynicism in the vague hope that politicians stump up some cash and someone resourceful can make it work. Maybe we'll all have Gigabit internet connections then too.

[MartG]

Given the UK's location next to a large inhabited landmass a UK Spaceport could only be used for tourist type suborbital launches where the direction of the earth's rotation has no effect on their trajectory, or 'conventional' launches into polar orbit.

[Simpo Two]

If we're talking about what are effectively aeroplanes not rockets then they can use airports. But frankly it's not going to happen.

[jmorgan]

When is it announced? Before September then it is going to be Scotland.....

[elster]

jmorgan said:

When is it announced? Before September then it is going to be Scotland.....

I don't think it is getting announced any time before September.

However realistically it has to be Scotland due to the Geography.

[jmorgan]

I had my cynical hat on.

[Gandahar]

Isn't it more efficient to launch near the equator?

Hence we should have a space port in Gibraltar !

I'm sure that will go down well. Gibraltar being the first Scottish colonial enclave!


Argentina will be confused

[pherlopolus]

I think the equator is the best place if you are looking for a geosynchronous orbit, for pleasure flights I am not sure it would matter that much?