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Virgin Galactic to Launch from Scottish Base?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the scotch-and-liftoff-please dept.

Lancey writes "The BBC reports that Richard Branson wants to launch Virgin Galactic space flights from a Royal Air Force base in Moray, Scotland, as early as 2010." From the article: "We are designing it so that we will be able to tour it around the world. So we will have a main base in New Mexico and we are looking at three bases outside there to be able to operate from."

3 of 50 comments (clear)

  1. What about the equator? by LotsOfPhil · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I thought that it was better to launch things from the equator. Something about angular momentum, maybe? This is (I thought) why the ESA launches from Equatorial Guinea, or some such.

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    1. Re:What about the equator? by tgd · · Score: 4, Informative

      Thats only if you're going to try to get into orbit easily.

      They're not trying to get into orbit.

  2. Re:I hope their ship is rainproof by tehgimpness · · Score: 5, Funny

    What planet are you from that has 450 days per year?

    It's part of an EU directive to ensure effective and fair distribution of rainfall in the europe. Each country has a number of rainfall tokens which are spent on rainfall per annum. Scotland import the rainfall by accepting rainfall tokens from other european countries to ensure that the rainfall exporters have more sunshine throughout the year. Italy and Greece are europes chief exporters. The UK and Poland are nett importers. England and Wales have 279 days of rainfall a year and have accepted 23 'grey skies and light showers' and 9 'fog' days from mainland europe in return for preferential North Sea fishing areas.

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