Influence of air and sea launch characteristics on the risk to third parties for north sea launches

Abstract

Air- and sea-based launches offer the option of launching to polar orbits from the German exclusive economic zone while completely avoiding overflight of inhabited areas and busy coastlines in the early flight stages. Nevertheless, a risk to the offshore industry, and air and maritime traffic remains. Studying the influences of typical launch profiles can assist in the reduction of the risk such launch operations from the North Sea pose. An analysis of the risk of an air and a sea launch to a sun-synchronous orbit from the North Sea is conducted. A range of different launch trajectories is considered for both an air and a sea launch by modifying the altitude of the target orbit and the initial flight angle. Subsequently the risk and impact the different launch types pose to third parties in the North Sea are compared.