Why are rocket launching stationslocated in the east cost only?

Answer 1

The answer has been touched on, but not completed.

Because the earth spins to the east, rockets launched eastward use less energy to reach orbit, because you can use the earth's rotational speed as a kick-start. This is also why rocket launching facilities are as close to the equator as possible, to maximize rotational speed.

And since you must (usually) launch eastward, you don't want anything "in the way" to the east, in case the rocket fails, crashes, or explodes on liftoff. Putting it on an east coast is an easy way to do that.

There is, however, a rocket launching facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, where there is nothing but desert to the east.

Answer 2

A lot of this has been said above in bits and pieces, but:

- The Earth's rotation at the launch point adds to or takes away from a rocket's orbital velocity. Launching Eastward allows you to use a smaller rocket and/or a bigger payload. (The closer you are to the Equator, the greater this effect, because that's where the tangential velocity is the highest - because you're at the furthest from the axis of rotation.)

- In the US, if you launch Eastward from the East Coast, you don't fly over populated areas, can have stages splash down in the ocean, etc.

- In the US, not all launch locations are on the East Coast. Vandenburg AFB in California is used for polar launches in a Southbound direction. (The area to the south of VAFB is ocean.) This is great for spy satellites that need to cover most or all of the Earth; most of the Earth passes beneath as the satellite orbits over the poles. These launches take little or no advantage of the Earth's rotation.

- Israel's launches are actually made in a Westward direction, to avoid flying over other countries and causing a problem. This means the rocket must be large enough, and the payload small enough, to overcome the disadvantage of working against the Earth's rotation.

Answer 3

They are not only on the east coast. Rockets are also launched from Vandenburg in California. The launches are visible from Los Angeles. But all manned launches have been from Florida because that allows launching toward the east while not overflying populated areas. You want to launch east to get a little extra speed from the Earth's rotation and you want to launch over water to avoid dropping stages on people. The Vandenberg launches are into polar orbits, which are good for some types of satellites, and they launch south, which is over water from Vandenberg.

Answer 4

Actually, in terms of east-west location, there is no particular reason - things just worked out that way. The more important factor is north-south location. The closer you get to the equator, the faster the Earth's rotation. At the equator, the earth is moving at about 1,040 miles per hour. At 45 degrees north latitude, the speed drops to about 750 miles per hour. So rockets are launched from as far south as is practical to take advantage of the greater speed.

Answer 5

The above posters are corrent, but also, it's easier to recover entire rockets or thier elements for study or reuse if they land in the ocean. Crashing down into cornfields and suburbs is not so good for this. We could launch from the west coast, but then it would be much harder to get into orbit.

Answer 6

To take advantage of the Earth's rotation. The Earth rotates from West to East. Projectiles released in the direction of rotation encounter less gravity as the Earth "falls" away.

Answer 7

because of the spin of the earth.
and if there is an error it will fall or explode into the ocean not on a populated city. hopefully
there are a few lauch stations on the west coasts of countries but are rarely used as much as eastern coasts of countries.

Answer 8

Because of wind current and jet streams, in the event of failure, it will be over the ocean.

Answer 9

I believe it has to do with the ability to predict the weather.