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The idea of launching far from shore could resolve some environmental concerns on land, but it’s not yet clear whether rocket launches at sea could also cause damage to marine life, or if offshore platforms are resilient enough to launch megarockets the likes of Starship. As for smaller rockets, that seems more feasible, as these recent tests suggest.
Future tests will have to determine if bigger rockets, especially those capable of reaching orbit, can launch from The Spaceport Company’s facilities. Importantly, the company recently announced a partnership with Vaya Space to launch small rockets from its sea-based platforms staring in 2025.
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As a concept, launching rockets from mobile sea platforms is nothing new. In 2019, China became the third country after the U.S. and Russia to do so.
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