what is sea rocket used for?

Answer 1

I cheap way to launch satellites.

I read an article about the Sea Rocket two years ago in Popular Science and it seemed like a good idea.

To remain solid the earth has to rotate faster at the equator than at the lower latitudes. Therefore the best position to launch a rocket at is the one that is the closest to the equator. This is why the US uses Florida. Sea Rocket uses Ecuador for its home base so it is right on the equator. The ship takes a small rocket out to sea, where it won't harm anyone if the rocket malfunctions. Then the ship moves back a little distance and the rocket is launched. The launch is safe, it is cheap because no permanent installation is needed. Since it is in International Waters fewer permits are needed, and since it is on the equator the rocket gets the best lift from the rotational energy of the Earth. Of course a few hundred fish get killed in the process, but if a sonar alarm is sounded first then that won't happen. However, no one cares if fish get killed or not (except for a very few species).

Answer 2

"Sea rocket" is the common name for any of about 17 species of plants constituting the genus Cakile, of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), native to seashore regions of North America, Eurasia, western Asia, and Australia, and to central Arabian deserts. Cakile maritima, a European plant, has waxy, thick, lobed green leaves and pale-lavender flowers. Here's a nice picture of it:

http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/pics_c/cakileeden.jpg