Type in your info and it will tell you how much you owe.

Jameyb do you realize what kind of damage that many brain-damaged, ego-centric, attention-seeking freaks can do to a planet?

Just look at what they've done to ours.

I knew the dual citizenship status of myself and my son would come in handy some day!

Sweet!

First of all, Florida is nicely surrounded by water so launching from there reduces the risk of spacecraft bits landing on people. The solid rocket boosters, for example, peel off the shuttle (fuel tank, actually) and parachute back down to the ocean.

Secondly, the closer you are to the equator, the less fuel that is required to reach orbit. Rocket fuel probably costs more than $3/gallon, so launching from Florida might actually save $1.7M in launch costs alone.

Oh, and I'm sure building and maintaining two shuttle launch facilities will cost a bit more than $1.7M as well...

I would also add, that in fact the original STS budget plans DID call for two launch facilities, the one a KSC in FL, and one at Vandenberg AFB in CA.

The Vandenberg site was intended primarily to launch shuttles carrying military payloads (e.g. spy satellites) into polar, as opposed to equitorial orbits. However, the Air Force discontinued operations in the late 1980's due to budgetary and political considerations, and the complex was put into mothballs before ever being used.