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Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Public at Vandenberg launches
Message-ID: <4295@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 8-Sep-84 19:26:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: utzoo.4295
Posted: Sat Sep  8 19:26:27 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Sep-84 19:26:27 EDT
References: <208@mhuxm.UUCP>, <985@ulysses.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 13

I'm told that, although there will be plenty of opportunity to see
Vandenberg launches from a considerable distance, *nobody* (barring
launch crews) gets to see them close up.  The reason has nothing to
do with security -- it's a problem of geography.  The Shuttle launch
pad has high hills on all sides except the ocean side.  You can't
watch from the ocean, because that's where debris would fall in a
major just-after-launch accident.  You can't watch from the hills,
because they're too close in the event of a major explosion.  And
once you move back to a safe distance, the hills are in the way and
you can't *see* the pad any more.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry