Paper Session IV-B - Offshore Space Launch Developments

Studies have been performed to investigate the feasibility of launching space vehicles from an offshore platform site [1] & [23. Constraints on the use of existing facilities at Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (KSC/CCAFS) and Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) will make it increasingly difficult to meet future planned launch requirements for larger vehicles and more frequent launch schedules. A universal mobile platform which can launch a variety of space vehicles from a deepwater location, provides an efficient method of reaching all these objectives, uhile mitigating problems with site acquisition. Costs for floating or fixed platforms used in the offshore oil industry are probably less than one half the cost of providing new, fixed, onshore launch facilities. This paper presents the results of recent studies for offshore launch development. Several viable platform concepts are proposed and workable operational scenarios illustrated. Technical problems associated with vehicle transportation, propellant handling, storm survival, thrust plume effects and weather downtime are addressed. Also, concerns of site security, safety, logistics support and communications are discussed. Solutions to many of these problems already exist in the present state of the offshore oil industry