Why is the equator the best place to launch a rocket?

If a ship is launched from the equator it goes up into space, and it is also moving around the Earth at the same speed it was moving before launching. This is because of inertia. That means that the land is moving faster at the equator than any other place on the surface of the Earth.

Why is Florida used for rocket launches?

The linear velocity of the Earth’s surface is greatest towards the equator; the relatively southerly location of the cape allows rockets to take advantage of this by launching eastward, in the same direction as the Earth’s rotation.

Why do rockets fly east?

Rockets fly East to take advantage of Earth rotation. To get to the right orbit velocity, they can already count on that speed and need to ‘add’ much less (thus saving on fuel). To launch West, they would need to ‘produce’ all of the orbit velocity PLUS the velocity to counter the Earth’s rotation.

Does Cape Canaveral have less gravity?

In reality, the gravitational field is 9.7773 m/s² in Colombo compared to 9.7979 m/s² in Cape Canaveral, Florida (where SpaceX launches the Falcon Heavy from). Going the other way, the force of gravity acting on a rocket would be 0.215\% less, meaning reduced fuel costs (theoretically).

Why did NASA pick Florida?

From a fuel efficiency and expense perspective, with the amount of energy needed to launch an object, that 0.3 percent savings goes a long way. Cape Canaveral was also chosen because of how close it is to the Atlantic Ocean.

Why are rockets launched from Vandenberg?

Launches from Vandenberg fly southward, allowing payloads to be placed in high-inclination orbits such as polar or Sun-synchronous orbit, which allow full global coverage on a regular basis and are often used for weather, Earth observation, and reconnaissance satellites.

Why are rocket launches at sea level?

Existing engineering materials allow the constuction of towers to heights of many kilometers. Orbital launch from a high altitude has significant advantages over sea-level launch due to the reduced atmospheric pressure, resulting in lower atmospheric drag on the vehicle and allowing higher rocket engine performance.