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From: inc@fluke.UUCP (Gary Benson)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Vandenburg
Message-ID: <754@tpvax.fluke.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 11-Feb-86 18:18:30 EST
Article-I.D.: tpvax.754
Posted: Tue Feb 11 18:18:30 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Feb-86 19:44:36 EST
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> >  While discussing the shuttle over the weekend a question came up
> > concerning Vandenburg launches.  Does anyone know if the launches
> > are retrograde launches.
> 
> The whole idea in using Vandenburg is that launches into *polar* orbit
> could be done over water.  I can't imagine a use for a retrograde orbit;

So? Because you can't imagine a use, does that mean there are none?
I have followed your recent group of postings with interest, and appreciate
someone knowledgeable taking the time to place factual postings here.

However, now that the question has been raised, I wonder if other
net-columbians can think of any uses for retrograde orbit? I imagined these:

a) Say you wanted to view a lot of different locations frequently but
couldn't afford to view them all continuously. A retrograde orbit would put
you over the locations more frequently than any other kind. (Cheap spy
or SDI system.)

b) Say you wanted to measure the speed of rotation of the earth in a new way
(like to verify the number predicted or calculated by other methods). Two
satellites going in precisely opposite orbits could do some pretty fancy
timing things...