Ian Parker wrote:

:On 17 Jan, 21:30, Fred J. McCall wrote:
: Ian Parker wrote:
:
: :On 17 Jan, 02:18, "Jorge R. Frank" wrote:
: :
: : In addition to Rand's arguments on orbital inclination, the argument on
: : orbital altitude is that ISS had to be situated below the Van Allen
: : belts to minimize radiation shielding requirements, and had to be
: : reachable by both the space shuttle and Soyuz/Progress, the latter of
: : which has an altitude ceiling of 425 km.
: :
: :That is the reason for the low orbit. The inlination is another
: :matter, If anything a high inclination gives more radiation.
: :
:
:This in itself speaks volumes. Radiation is a technical point. The
:Russian launch sites are political. An equatorial orbit would be
erfectly ascessible from Kourou where Soyuz is now based.
:

But it wasn't based there then. If ISS wasn't where it is the
Russians wouldn't have played. End of story.

:
:If you are
:INTERNATIONAL you make your launch facilities available to everyone.
:What is the rooted objection to launcing a Proton from Kourou?
:

None, except you couldn't do it until last year.

:
:Or even a Shuttle?
:

No capability and no way to get everything there.

:
:"I" to be implies that the best facilities are used from every nation.
:Kourou is overwhemingly the best launch site in current operatrion.
:This is what TRADE means. There is a site in Brazil even closer to the
:equator but that lacks the facilities of Kourou.
:

The same facilities that Kourou lacked until last year. Why are we
building in Kourou and not in Brazil?

: :
: :Martha Adams in fact strikes me as one of the more sensible people in
: :this group.
: :
:
: This says more about how loony you are than it does about anything
: else.
:
:
:This is the case in point. I am beginning to see that the fact that
:anyone going to a space colony would be able to build a VN machine
:easily is something that the Establishment wishes to hide.
:

Yes, because it's NOT a 'fact'.

snip silly speculations


--
"Ordinarily he is insane. But he has lucid moments when he is
only stupid."
-- Heinrich Heine