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A Floating Cosmodrome
I liked this fanciful Soviet ocean-going cosmodrome, illustrated on a postcard by G. Pokrovsky in 1976:
A cosmodrome on the ocean, illustrated by G. Pokrovsky. 1976 postcard from the Soviet Union. pic.twitter.com/x6aOCKmVJt
— Humanoid History (@HumanoidHistory) September 3, 2019
A true floating spaceport is still, as far as I know, science fictional. Fans of scientifiction of the 1930's may recall the artificial island from Between Earth and Moon (1930) by Otfrid von Hanstein.
It was a remarkable island, circular, about half a kilometer in diameter. It rose from the sea, floating on it and fastened to the bottom only by strong anchors. It actually was a huge hemisphere of metal and concrete, open underneath. Above it was shaped to a single perfectly level platform, which rose so high above the water that it was not splashed by the waves. From this platform steps led down to the water all around. On all four sides, ribs several hundred meters long extended out into the sea, forming four harbors which could be used according to the direction of the wind.
(Artificial Island)"Hey! Look here!"
No answer - nobody - no guard at the shore. There was only the great steel colossus, which held the upright rocket in its spidery arms as if in a tender embrace, rising up alone in the air.
As far as I know, the first actual launch of a missile from a floating platform took place in 1947:
6 September 1947. Operation
— Ron Eisele (@ron_eisele) September 5, 2019
Sandy: US Navy aircraft carrier USS Midway launched a captured V-2 rocket from
its deck. First launch of a large rocket from a ship at sea. pic.twitter.com/ReVbGTJ23r
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