JRS: In article , seen in
news:sci.space.tech, Gordon D. Pusch posted
at Wed, 9 Jul 2003 08:26:53 :-

However, there would be very little point
in doing so, since the plane of the ISS's orbit was chosen to make it
accessible to vehicles launched from Kennedy Spaceport and Baikonur
Cosmodrome, and lowering its inclination to match the Moon's would
make it inaccessible to anyone not launching from a facility near the
equator (i.e., no one but the ESA).

The Moon can be overhead from parts of Florida, I believe; did not the
Columbiad depend on that?

Then the ESA are not the only ones who can launch from near the Equator.

The Russians have, I believe, an agreement to use Kourou, and doubtless
other friendly countries might negotiate similar with the ESA. Then the
Indians - the proper ones, nor the Reds - must be launching from
moderately low latitude already, and should be able to find a site below
ten degrees north.

Sea Launch can manage the equator exactly, if required.

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