• grue@lemmy.world
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    21 hours ago

    TIL Vandenberg Air Force Base got renamed.

    Also, I’m pretty sure that one in Georgia doesn’t actually exist.

  • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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    23 hours ago

    On clear days you can see launches from Wallops along the eastern seaboard. If Apollo had launched from there they could have seen it from NYC.

    I used to live in the mountains in Maryland and watched them all the time, and even saw the light from the Antares explosion.

    • will_a113@lemmy.ml
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      22 hours ago

      Closer to the equator means less fuel to orbit because the Earth spins fastest at the equator so you don’t have to add as much delta-v.

      The Alaska one I’d bet is for military ops or maybe polar satellite installations.

    • Shadow@lemmy.ca
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      22 hours ago

      The earth is widest at the equator and it spins along that axis, so it’s easier / closer to get up into space.

      Alaska probably just cause why not.