Did Ireland consider supporting the development of a commercial launch site in the 1970s? That's the claim of an article published Thursday, which bases its claim on Irish government documents recently made public under a "30-year rule". According to the report, a group led by an American, "Dr. Gary Hudson", and British astronomer Fred Hoyle, proposed creating a launch site on an island off the Irish coast that would have started launches in 1976 or 1977. The proposal, as outlined in a letter from the Irish consulate in the US, was rejected by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, calling it "science fiction." The Hudson mentioned in the article turns out to be the same Gary Hudson who has been involved in a number of commercial launch vehicle ventures, such as Rotary Rocket. In a Usenet posting, Hudson remembers the event a little differently, calling it an "hour-long visit" to the Irish Industrial Development Authority to see if an launch venture would qualify for a tax break.
Posted: 6:42 PM ET (2342 GMT)