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A former North Sea oil rig has become the world’s first floating rocket
launch pad. A Ukrainian Zenit rocket blasted off from the Sea Launch platform at
the equator to the south of Hawaii on 27 March, placing a dummy satellite in
orbit. The technology was designed to address a shortage of equatorial launch
slots. Now the Sea Launch consortium, which includes mission operator Energia of
Russia, shipbuilder Kvaerner of Norway, payload specialist Boeing of the US and
rocket builder Yuzhnoye of Ukraine, is planning at least 16 commercial satellite
launches.