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I have not heard about a west coast launch pad, but I was wondering how they planned to actually accomplish the landing. We (almost) always launch west-to-east

I have not heard about a west coast launch pad, but I was wondering how they planned to actually accomplish the landing. We (almost) always launch west-to-east, to take advantage of the roughly 400m/s you gain from the Earth's rotation. It wouldn't make sense to launch from the east coast and then have the boost fly back to get to land.

washedup 12y ago
There are many launches from Vandenberg AFB, but most of these launches will travel south over the Pacific. It is generally used for placing payloads in Polar orbits. They never launch over land for fear or casualties if something goes wrong.
- lutusp 12y ago
  > They never launch over land for fear or casualties if something goes wrong. Yes, that's true now, but at the height of the Shuttle program, Vandenberg AFB had begun to build, and planned to use, a Shuttle launch facility. So that's a policy change, because there was a time when they were more than willing to launch something very heavy over land to their east.
  - sputknick 12y ago
    That launch facility was for polar orbiting shuttle missions, which were never executed.
    - timdiggerm 12y ago
      Source for saying it would be exclusively used for polar missions?
      - mikeash 12y ago
        That's all Vandenberg is ever used for aside from missile tests which go west[1], and there would be no reason to use it for launches to the east when you can accomplish those just as easily from Florida without the safety concerns. [1] http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm "With the exception of the Pegasus XL, all Vandenberg AFB launches take place from the base. Minuteman III missiles climb rather steeply and head due west. Delta, Taurus, and other satellite launch vehicles fly towards the south and climb more slowly."
    - washedup 12y ago
      It's not well sourced, but this Wikipedia about the Shuttle Launch Complex at Vandenberg provides further details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandenberg_AFB_Space_Launch_Complex_6#Space_Shuttle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandenberg_AFB_Space_Launch_Com...
Crito 12y ago
> I have not heard about a west coast launch pad Vandenberg Air Force Base, in California. The first Falcon 9 v1.1 launch, for CASSIOPE, was from Vandenberg. Here is a sign that SpaceX has at Vandenberg, implying that they intend to both launch from and land at Vandenberg: http://i.imgur.com/YW4tmkR.jpg http://i.imgur.com/YW4tmkR.jpg Vandenberg is really only useful for polar orbits, and perhaps retrograde orbits, due to it's high inclination and it's geographical relationship to the ocean. Similarly, launches from the east coast will land back at the east coast. It will look something like this: http://i.imgur.com/NEi7qKp.jpg http://i.imgur.com/NEi7qKp.jpg (related discussion: http://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/23l96t/spacex_falcon_9r_return_to_launch_site_trajectory/ http://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/23l96t/spacex_falcon... source: http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/falcon9v1-1.html http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/falcon9v1-1.html)
- cvbncvbncgbc 12y ago
  Huh, somehow I always though the first stage would orbit the earth once and then land. I never considered that it doesn't have enought speed or fuel to do so even if forced.
  - stcredzero 12y ago
    If the 1st stage could make orbit, it would constitute an SSTO craft. You have to have higher ISP than kerosene and higher fuel mass fraction than aluminum can provide to do that.
    - mikeash 12y ago
      Not strictly true. The Saturn V first stage could have been used as an SSTO, and it used kerosene and aluminum. The payload would be extremely small, though, so it's not worth it.
      - stcredzero 12y ago
        Okay, then change that to "would constitute a practical SSTO." The engineering of the Saturn V just continues to amaze me!
mikeash 12y ago
It would absolutely make sense to launch from the east coast and have the booster fly back to land. You still gain all the benefit of the extra speed from the Earth's rotation to help you get to orbit. The fact that you fly the first stage back home doesn't affect that at all.

washedup 12y ago

There are many launches from Vandenberg AFB, but most of these launches will travel south over the Pacific. It is generally used for placing payloads in Polar orbits. They never launch over land for fear or casualties if something goes wrong.

lutusp 12y ago
> They never launch over land for fear or casualties if something goes wrong. Yes, that's true now, but at the height of the Shuttle program, Vandenberg AFB had begun to build, and planned to use, a Shuttle launch facility. So that's a policy change, because there was a time when they were more than willing to launch something very heavy over land to their east.
- sputknick 12y ago
  That launch facility was for polar orbiting shuttle missions, which were never executed.
  - timdiggerm 12y ago
    Source for saying it would be exclusively used for polar missions?
    - mikeash 12y ago
      That's all Vandenberg is ever used for aside from missile tests which go west[1], and there would be no reason to use it for launches to the east when you can accomplish those just as easily from Florida without the safety concerns. [1] http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm "With the exception of the Pegasus XL, all Vandenberg AFB launches take place from the base. Minuteman III missiles climb rather steeply and head due west. Delta, Taurus, and other satellite launch vehicles fly towards the south and climb more slowly."
  - washedup 12y ago
    It's not well sourced, but this Wikipedia about the Shuttle Launch Complex at Vandenberg provides further details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandenberg_AFB_Space_Launch_Complex_6#Space_Shuttle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandenberg_AFB_Space_Launch_Com...

Crito 12y ago

> I have not heard about a west coast launch pad Vandenberg Air Force Base, in California. The first Falcon 9 v1.1 launch, for CASSIOPE, was from Vandenberg. Here is a sign that SpaceX has at Vandenberg, implying that they intend to both launch from and land at Vandenberg: http://i.imgur.com/YW4tmkR.jpg http://i.imgur.com/YW4tmkR.jpg Vandenberg is really only useful for polar orbits, and perhaps retrograde orbits, due to it's high inclination and it's geographical relationship to the ocean. Similarly, launches from the east coast will land back at the east coast. It will look something like this: http://i.imgur.com/NEi7qKp.jpg http://i.imgur.com/NEi7qKp.jpg (related discussion: http://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/23l96t/spacex_falcon_9r_return_to_launch_site_trajectory/ http://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/23l96t/spacex_falcon... source: http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/falcon9v1-1.html http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/falcon9v1-1.html)

cvbncvbncgbc 12y ago
Huh, somehow I always though the first stage would orbit the earth once and then land. I never considered that it doesn't have enought speed or fuel to do so even if forced.
- stcredzero 12y ago
  If the 1st stage could make orbit, it would constitute an SSTO craft. You have to have higher ISP than kerosene and higher fuel mass fraction than aluminum can provide to do that.
  - mikeash 12y ago
    Not strictly true. The Saturn V first stage could have been used as an SSTO, and it used kerosene and aluminum. The payload would be extremely small, though, so it's not worth it.
    - stcredzero 12y ago
      Okay, then change that to "would constitute a practical SSTO." The engineering of the Saturn V just continues to amaze me!

mikeash 12y ago

It would absolutely make sense to launch from the east coast and have the booster fly back to land. You still gain all the benefit of the extra speed from the Earth's rotation to help you get to orbit. The fact that you fly the first stage back home doesn't affect that at all.