Launching From the Sea and Sky

The San Marco platforms off Kenya launched Scout rockets for Italy from 1967 to 1988, the first orbital flights from African waters. Sea Launch sent Zenit rockets from a floating platform on the equator starting in 1999.

SpaceX cut its teeth on Omelek island in the Pacific before Falcon 1 reached orbit in 2008. Virgin Orbit dropped its LauncherOne rocket from a Boeing 747 over the Atlantic in the first United Kingdom orbital attempt in 2023.

Sea and air launch trade fixed infrastructure for freedom to pick the perfect spot.