I mean… its a big deal if you’re anywhere near the launchpad. Or, in or around South Padre Island.
Also can’t help but notice that Starbase, Texas is practically hugging the US/Mexico border. Almost as though Abbott didn’t want this shit landing in his own backyard when it failed.
Proximity to the equator and high elevation make for ideal launch sites. Then eastward facing, because you want to run counter to the earth’s spin as you launch and be out over open water if something fucks up. One reason why Kenya, Brazil, and Indonesia were floated as a high efficiency international spaceports decades ago, when efficiency was considered more important than inflating a billionaire’s ego.
It’s not a big deal when you’re blowing up someone else’s money with no real accountability.
I mean… its a big deal if you’re anywhere near the launchpad. Or, in or around South Padre Island.
Also can’t help but notice that Starbase, Texas is practically hugging the US/Mexico border. Almost as though Abbott didn’t want this shit landing in his own backyard when it failed.
It also helps to be as far south as possible. You get to use more momentum to help get orbit, if I understand it correctly.
IIRC, that’s why NASA launches from Florida. That and the coast making launch failures safer.
(But I am not a physicist.)
Proximity to the equator and high elevation make for ideal launch sites. Then eastward facing, because you want to run counter to the earth’s spin as you launch and be out over open water if something fucks up. One reason why Kenya, Brazil, and Indonesia were floated as a high efficiency international spaceports decades ago, when efficiency was considered more important than inflating a billionaire’s ego.