Launch Hill

In Orbit Assembly requires frequent deployment to LEO. The modules making up the rocket do not have their own thrusters to stay in orbit. They all rely on the Base Module’s thrust which may not keep the heavy rocket assembly in orbit for so long. In order to solve this problem, I thought of a new generation of launch facility that allows simultaneous launches to speed up the in-orbit assembly.

Like the giant international airports that have multiple runways that support parallel takeoff and landing, the next generation launch sites aimed for planetary missions should also support parallel launches and landing. To minimize the dangers of a rocket launch, I thought of placing the launch site on a hill or mountain like the rock of Gibraltar on the seaside. The massive rock formation would prevent the debris of a launch explosion to affect the other launch sites.

There would be three launch sites surrounding the hill to maximize the distance between them. The rockets would be assembled and fueled in cavities inside the hill. The launch platforms would not have fueling or other dangerous infrastructure on them. They would be inside the mountain. As a result, an explosion on or above the platform would have minimal damage. In case of accident, the platform would be easily replaced.

Launching multiple rockets simultaneously or in very close succession allows them to be in almost the same altitude when an accident happens. In that case, the remaining rockets would be flying away from the falling debris. If the rockets are quite mature with very low failure rate, then the rockets may fly in the drafting formation to reduce air drag (I had written an article on Rocket Drafting, 18 September 2025).

Concentrating the rocket assembly and servicing to one central location (under the hill), speeds up the launch process.

The hill would provide some kind of protection against the falling debris in case of an accident. Additionally, during disputes critical rocket launch site would be protected against the enemy missiles.