# Low gravity area water loop?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-gravity-area-water-loop/1004905>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 28, 2024, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-gravity-area-water-loop/1004905 "2024-07-28T18:37:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Kedikat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-gravity-area-water-loop/1004905/21 "2024-07-29T05:03:04Z")

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Would an area of such low gravity be of any useful benefit to rocket lift off and landing? Floating space port. Or too little to justify the complexity.

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**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-gravity-area-water-loop/1004905/22 "2024-07-29T05:24:18Z")

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While there is a certain benefit in a “floating space port” that could be located at an almost arbitrary launch azimuth, the difference in effective altitude from is essentially negligible, especially since it is launching at what is essentially the same gravitational potential. Launching from a highly elevated launch site (most launch sites are near sea level by virtue of offering wide array of launch options) has been considered, as have balloon-elevated launch platforms, but they offer little practical benefit considering the complexity involved in the construction and logistics for such facilities.

Stranger

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-gravity-area-water-loop/1004905/23 "2024-07-29T10:32:49Z")

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**Moderator Note**

> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#):
>
> Please don’t turn this into yet another thread where you try to ‘logify’ why everyone else is wrong and only you are correct based upon some obtuse interpretation of the problem.

Dial it back, please. Focus on the facts instead of turning this into a personal attack on another user.

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-gravity-area-water-loop/1004905/24 "2024-07-30T19:51:56Z")

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> [@ftg](#):
>
> There was a thread many years ago where the poster saw a patent idea for a huge pipe from someplace like Las Vegas to NW Oregon. Since the average air pressure in Vegas was higher (I think) than at the other end air would flow from one end to the other. Put a turbine in the pipe and you could generate electricity.

The main cause of wind blowing is differences in air pressure in different locations. We currently are extracting energy from wind by mounting wind turbines in various places. There’s no need for a special pipe to generate electricity in this manner.

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