Why does NASA use Florida rather than the west to launch spacecrafts?

Answer 1

Two benefits: a higher initial speed for a lower cost of failure, and for the Space Shuttles, the ejected fuel tanks can be recovered and reused.

Before being launched a rocket has the initial velocity of the spinning earth, which is eastward. So the absolute (not relative to the earth) initial speed will be greater if launching eastwards.

The rocket has the max fuel load and uses max thrust during launching. So launching, and re-entering to the earth atmosphere on the return, are the highest risk periods of the mission. If anything failed, it would cost less having the rocket or its parts fall into the water of the Atlantic ocean instead of, say having to make a difficult decision to command a self destruct so that it won't fall wholely on a neighborhood, say, in eastern Texas. Houston gives a greater initial speed being nearer to the equator.

The fuel tanks of the Space Shuttle would be destroyed if jettisoned to fall on a hard ground surface and not the ocean water.

Answer 2

By launching East NASA is taking advantage of the earth's rotational velocity to propel them around the earth.

Orbiting the earth in the direction the earth turns is called a prograde orbit and it is the most efficient. Retrograde or Westerly orbits are best launched from the West Coast so that the vehicle flies over the least amount of population.

NASA saves energy (propellant) by using the earth to throw them towards the East as it spins. The Earth rotates around once in 24 hours - that's a rate of 1000 miles per hour. This additional 1000 miles an hour which is added when launching to the East would be negated if the shuttle were launched Due North or South.

Launching to the West in a Retrograde Orbit would actually cost NASA 1000 miles an hour of final velocity at the end of their burn. So NASA gains approximately 2000 miles an hour launching to the East as opposed to launching from the West in a retrograde orbit.

To dock with the International Space Station the Shuttle velocity must get above 17,000 miles an hour. Therefore the saving they get from launching to the East as opposed to the West is just over 10%.

The advantage given to space launches when flying East explains why the International Space Station is on a prograde orbit.

Answer 3

I believe it has to do with three items...

1. All launches take off to the east. I don't know if it has to do with the rotation of the Earth, but that would be my guess. Even watching launches from other countries, everything bends eastward.

2. Any delivery vehicles (booster rockets) can fall harmlessly into the ocean for recovery instead of crashing into land.

3. From a physics standpoint, you want to launch as close to the equator as possible.

Answer 4

Major events in Florida are easier to anticipate. In California an earthquake could occur at any time resulting in severe damage to equipment and facilities, while Florida does experience an earthquake every now and then they are much smaller in maginitude (3 is a big one in Florida). Also to contend is more predictable winds, CA has mountains which can cause various wind currents while Florida has hills we call mountains. The only things Florida has to look at is the occassional hurricane (can be seen days before hand) and tornado from a thunderstorm (can also usually be seen a day or two in advance).

Answer 5

How about if there is a problem with the launch nothing is going to fall on a populated area.