"For Skylon, you also have a landing problem. There are not manyplaces along the equator with a big expanse of ocean to the east (...) The best may be Kiribati". This reply is perhaps somewhat off-topic, but no more so than the entire thread. In a nutshell, Kiribati's moving to Fiji: http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/kiribati-a-nation-going-under/590/ Cheers, Mark L. DC