SPACE PORT OMELEK ISLAND
Space X In an era when most technology based products follow a path of ever-increasing capability and reliability while simultaneously reducing costs, launch vehicles today are little changed from those of 40 years ago. SpaceX aims to change this paradigm by developing a family of launch vehicles which will ultimately reduce the cost and increase the reliability of space access by a factor of ten. Coupled with the newly emerging market for private and commercial space transport, this new model will re-ignite humanity’s efforts to explore and develop Space. Our company is based on the philosophy that simplicity, low-cost, and reliability can go hand in hand. By
Space X Site Omelek Island Is part of the Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. It is controlled by the United States military under a long-term lease (along with ten other islands in the atoll) and is part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site. Kwajalein is one of the world’s largest coral atolls as measured by area of enclosed water. Comprising 97 islets, it has a land area of 16.4 km², and surrounds one of the largest lagoons in the world, with an
area of 2174 km². Omelek Uninhabited, leased by the US military. Site of SpaceX launch facility. Little Bustard (Marshallese “Drebubbu”) is the first island north of Kwajalein on the East reef. During low tide and with protective boots, it is possible to wade across the reef between Kwajalein and Little Bustard Omelek has long been used by the United States for small research rocket
launches due to its relative isolation in the South Pacific. The last US government rocket launch occurred in 1996. More recently, the island’s equatorial proximity and nearby radar tracking infrastructure has attracted SpaceX, an orbital launch provider, which recently updated facilities on the island, as well as establishing the island as their primary launch location. In early 2006, an attempt to launch SpaceX’s experimental low-cost rocket Falcon 1 from
Geography
People
The Island is located at and is about 32,000 square meters (8 acres) in size. Geologically, it is composed of reef-rock, as are the other islands in the atoll, which is created by the accumulation of marine organism remnants (corals, mollusks, etc.) n the US environmental assessment review, released October 25, the Federal Aviation Agency issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). An analysis of the proposed launches concluded that there are no significant short-term or long-term effects to the environment or surrounding populations of Kwajalein.
A staff of about 25 flight controllers and engineers will watch the space shot from a control center on Kwajalein Atoll, though the rocket’s launch pad sits on Omelek Island.
Omelek has been developed solely as a launch support facility and there are no inhabited islands within 21 kilometers (13 miles) of the site. According to the notice, Falcon 1 launch vehicle will reach supersonic speeds at an altitude of approximately eight kilometers (five miles) over the open ocean. The resultant sonic boom will not adversely impact any surrounding USAKA islands.
The launch control center is located on Kwajalein Island along with guest offices for our customers. The main island also has hotels, shops, a cafeteria and sports facilities.
Describing the benefits of the Kwajalein location, Musk said, "For potential customers out there, I should mention that Kwajalein has some of the world’s best scuba diving and snorkeling! It is literally a tropical paradise." "I think I can say with confidence that we've left no stone unturned," Musk said in his press conference last week before leaving for the Kwajalein.
Features on site Quay
F1 Falcon Facility
thereby reduce coastal erosion. They are constructed some distance away Provides mooring for: Payload Processing: from the coast or built with one end 1) Landing craft type vessels deliver1 The services and equipent provided linked to the coast. The breakwaters ing Falcon 1s and other equipment and for satelite processing in the clean may be small structures, placed one to supplies. room area are shown in table 4-1 2) LOX tankers, which unload via a space craft limitations for the process- three hundred feet offshore in relatively pipeline along the quay direct to the ing facility require no mono or biporpel- shallow water, designed to protect a gently sloping beach. Breakwater constorage tanks adjacent to the launch lants be board. SpaceX baselines a struction is usually parallel or perpenpad. 1000,000 class celan room facility for dicular to the coast to maintain tranpayload processing. Hangar on Omquility condition in the port. Offices elek houses the Payload processing Breakwaters are subject to damage, 1 Near the PPF, a customer office area facility (ppf). and overtopping by big storms can will be provided that contains desks, lead to problems of drainage of water office chairs, one class A telephone RP-1 that gets behind them. The wall also line, serves to encourage erosion of beach and high speed internet connectivity. (Rocket Propellant-1) is a highly redeposits from the foot of the wall and Fax service is also available. Portable fined form of kerosene outwardly can increase longshore sediment units will supply sanitation needs for similar to jet fuel. Although having a transport Most of Breakwater construcboth SpaceX and payload support per- lower specific impulse than liquid hytion depends upon wave approach and sonnel at the launch pad. Payload sup- drogen (LH2) and thus less thrust per considering some other environmental port personnel are welcome to share unit mass, RP-1 is cheaper, can be small amounts of refrigerator space, stored at room temperature, is far less parameters When oncoming waves hit these coffee machines, microwaves, and breakwaters, their erosive power is other conveniences that may be avail- Breakwater concentrated on these structures some able. distance away from the coast. In this Provides mooring for: way, there is an area of slack water 1Offshore breakwaters, also called behind the breakwaters. Deposition bulkheads, reduce the intensity of occurring in these waters and beaches wave action in inshore waters and
Kwajalein’s location gives it a tropical marine climate. The atoll experiences a relatively dry windy season from mid-December to mid-May and a relatively wet calm (wind) season from mid-May to mid-November. Normal annual rainfall is approximately 100 inches; approximately 72% of the annual rainfall occurs during the wet season and 28% occurs during the dry season. On average, the prevailing wind direction is from the east-northeast during the entire year, although, winds may become more variable during the wet season, when occasional southerly or even westerly winds occur. Average wind speed is near 17 mph from December to April and near 12 mph from May to November. The average daily maximum temperature is 86.5ºF; the average minimum is 77.6ºF. The extreme temperatures are 97ºF and 68ºF. Average relative humidity ranges from 83% at local noon to 78% at midnight. Although most of the rainfall at Kwajalein comes from showers, thunderstorms are infrequent. On average, thunderstorms occur fewer than 12 days each year. The frequency of thunderstorms ranges from 0.1 per month from January to March to 2.0 per month in September. During the modern era of record keeping, since 1919, a fully developed typhoon has never struck Kwajalein Atoll; however, tropical storms (sustained winds of 40 to 74 mph) impact the atoll about once every four to
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EFFICIENT: light,shadow,water,fog ACCURATE : ducts/ventilation,port,helipad,launch pad UNSEEN spheres,planes,cubes,line FORMAL NON-RECOGNITION: deformation,twisted, indirect
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Surealism/Sublime:Salvador Dali-Women in Space, ie
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FOG ATMOSPHERE:Diller & Scofidio - BLUR BUILDING,
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LIGHT FILTERNG:Jean Nouvel - Louvre Museum,
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