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Message no. 1
From: Jonas Bolander <Jonas.Bolander@****.SE>
Subject: Oil Rigs/Launch Facilities
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 15:52:23 +0000
I found a short article in the swedish magazine 'Illustrerad
Vetenskap' about using old oil platforms to launch rockets.
According to the article the former Norwegian drilling
platform 'Odessey' is being prepared for use as a launching
point for russian Zenith-rockets. It is a multinational
project called Sea Launch that finances it and the first
launch is scheduled for the summer of 1998.
The advantages of using the oil platform are that it is
difficult to find suitable countries around the equator
that are 'safe' for use as a launch site. Unpredictable
weather, political instability and bad infrastructure
are sited as reasons to avoid building in many of these
countries.
It also seems the price for a launch would be 10-20 M$
less than for a regular Ariane/Atlas launch.
The platform would be placed somewhere in the Pacific
Ocean.

/Jonas Bolander

- When you have unwittingly challenged a Great Dragon to
personal magical combat just drop dead and save everyone
the 3.2 seconds it will take for it to utterly vaporize
you. -
Surviving Aleph, a players memoires
Message no. 2
From: David Buehrer <dbuehrer@****.ORG>
Subject: Re: Oil Rigs/Launch Facilities
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 11:13:09 -0600
I'd just like to point out that with all of the facilities allready
in place for suborbital launches, that converting an oil platform to
a launch facility isn't really necessary (unless you're an evil
villain bent on rulling the world <Mwa Hah Hah Hah!>).

-David
--
"What's the point spread on World War III?"
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1068/homepage.htm

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Thwap!