Whyyyy peter?

[u/chirantaniga]

[u/Scuttling-Claws]

Exactly. Porque no Los Dos

[u/AliasClimbs → u/Scuttling-Claws]

Exactly what I was thinking of. Ill be climbing it in a few months. Ill bring an Estes model rocket set up with me For Science.

[u/jweezy2045 → u/AliasClimbs]

The answer here is that yes, launching from high altitude as well as launching from the equator are both benefits. Its just that the cost of moving a rocket up a mountain, or to some other country, ends up being more hassle than just doing it wherever is easiest/safest. Its just a marginal reduction. I don't have the numbers on exactly altitude, but I remember something about "Why don't we build a mile deep tunnel, and shoot space ships out of it like a gun" and the answer was something like "Sure, you can get a boost in efficiency and payload if you launch start instead of stationary start, but its like 1% more payload, and you had to build a mile deep hole that somehow shoots rockets in order to get it, so its just kinda a nonstarter of an idea."

[u/Thejacensolo → u/AliasClimbs]

Getting all touchy with the "equatorial bulge" i see

[u/ABLogic → u/AliasClimbs]

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[u/Shadow-Vision → u/AliasClimbs]

Actually decent science? Maybe you can somehow measure if the Estes rocket engines (whatever they’re called?) are less efficient at altitude.

Not sure how to measure that but lighting it on fire would be how I’d start

[u/asmodai_says_REPENT → u/Scuttling-Claws]

Well when ecuador decides they need a space program maybe they'll launch their rockets from there.