Why is Cape Canaveral a Launch Site? 6 Reasons!

Why is Cape Canaveral a launch site? It’s the perfect spot to maximize rocket speed, ensure public safety, and maintain efficient operations.

In total, there are 6 main reasons why NASA loves Cape Canaveral as a rocket launch site. I’ll discuss each reason in close detail, so you can better appreciate the complexities of launching a rocket.

Fun fact: the first rocket launch from Cape Canaveral was on July 24, 1950. Even today, this remote marshland is one of the primary locations for U.S. rocket launches. We’ve traveled to the Moon, planets, and beyond from this now-famous small city in Florida.

#1 Proximity to the equator for a speed boost

It’s no secret that it costs a ton of money to launch a rocket into space. So, it makes sense to squeeze every last advantage Earth offers. One huge hidden advantage is the speed of objects on Earth’s surface.

The closer you are to the equator, the faster objects move due to increased angular momentum. In return, a rocket gets a significant speed boost.

For example, on the surface of Earth at the equator, objects move at 1,038 Miles Per Hour (mph). So, a rocket at the equator will have a speed of 1,038 mph before launch. This allows it to reach escape velocity using minimal fuel.

In other words, the closer a rocket is to the equator, the greater the kinetic energy it starts with. As a result, a rocket uses less energy to reach orbit. And every 0.1% in energy savings is huge.

According to Harry W. Jones‘ paper, the cost of a rocket launch today is still massive:

NASA’s space shuttle had a cost of about $1.5 billion to launch 27,500 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), $54,500/kg. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 now advertises a cost of $62 million to launch 22,800 kg to LEO, $2,720/kg.

Cost savings are a constant theme with rocket launches.

Now, Cape Canaveral is roughly 1,960 miles north of the equator, and it’s one of the farthest points south in the continental United States. To put this into perspective, the following table shows the distance of popular U.S. cities from the equator:

To visualize this speed boost, think of a record player. Place a coin near the center and one at the edge of the record. Both coins will orbit the center at the same revolutions per minute, but the coin at the edge has to travel a much farther distance in the same amount of time. Thus, it travels faster at the edge.

Similarly, every part of Earth rotates at the same angular velocity, so the change in angle over time is the same. But the linear speed of different surface spots varies at different latitudes. This is the speed in a straight line. Picture spinning a basketball on your finger: at the poles, there’s no movement, while the movement is greatest at the equator.

This is why countries locate their launch facilities near the equator. The following table shows the proximity of other launch sites to the equator:

Important Note: Elon Musk chose Texas for SpaceX launches too. For one, the southern tip of Texas is closer to the Equator than even Cape Canaveral. Also, on the east side of Texas sits the Gulf of Mexico, a large body of water.

#2 Orbital spaceflight flexibility for satellites 

Rockets launched near the equator have way more flexibility when it comes to common desired orbital paths. A rocket launched near the equator can orbit east to west with ease. But, if you try to launch a rocket near the poles of Earth, you’ll need more energy to reach that east to west orbit.

At Cape Canaveral, eastward launches are for prograde orbits. These launches aim for geosynchronous or geostationary orbits. However, most North, South, and West launches aren’t made at Cape Canaveral due to rocket flight restrictions over land.

Let’s do a quick calculation to show why prograde orbits are common at Cape Canaveral. First, you should know that to reach orbit around Earth, you need to hit 17,600 mph. And if you want to completely escape Earth’s gravity, you’ll need to reach a whopping 25,000 mph.

Now, keep in mind that the Earth’s rotational speed at the equator is 1,038 mph. Cape Canaveral sits at a latitude of about 28° North. With this info, we can calculate a rocket’s speed boost at Cape Canaveral.

1,038 mph x cos(28°) = 916.5 mph speed boost

So, by flying eastward in the same direction Earth is spinning, you get a significant speed boost. This reduces fuel costs quite a bit.

On the other hand, if you try to achieve a polar orbit from the equator, you’ll need extra fuel. You still need to hit 17,600 mph, but you also need to counter your eastward momentum. This course correction is why polar orbit launches aren’t typically made from Cape Canaveral.

#3 Public safety from rocket launch mishaps

Rockets look insanely cool and simple. But in reality, they’re super complex machines that travel hundreds of miles into space, weighing hundreds of thousands of pounds. With so many factors in play, it’s not surprising that things can go wrong. Especially when you think about how rockets are essentially just one long controlled explosion.

That’s why folks in charge take tons of contingencies into account to minimize risks. The largest risk is, of course, people getting hurt.

This brings us to why Cape Canaveral makes such an awesome rocket launch site. It’s located on the east coast of Florida, facing the Atlantic Ocean. And the rocket launches take advantage of Earth’s eastward rotation for a speed boost. As a result, the rockets typically end up orbiting in the same direction Earth spins.

This trajectory creates a safety zone for launches, where rocket travel paths fall over the ocean and not large population centers. So, any falling debris from rockets will splash down into the Atlantic Ocean. Plus, reusable rocket parts can safely parachute down into the ocean for later recovery.

#4 Easy site access for transportation

Cape Canaveral is surrounded by easily accessible waterways for transportation. This makes the transport of large heavy equipment to the site a breeze. It’s almost always easier to transport massive objects by sea rather than land.

For added perspective, think about land-based wind turbines. Engineers limit their physical size due to transportation limitations. For instance, if a wind blade becomes too large, it won’t fit under all bridges.

So, as rockets get bigger, Cape Canaveral’s launch site will only become more popular.

Additionally, heavy-traffic shipping lanes aren’t near the launch area. And any ships that do enter the launch area can easily have their routes adjusted.

#5 Existing rocket infrastructure

Cape Canaveral wasn’t always the hotspot for launching rockets into space. Back in 1949, the U.S. government was testing missiles from the site. Even then, the close proximity to the equator and safety factor were huge considerations.

As a result, Cape Canaveral already had rocket infrastructure like launch pads. So, NASA could reuse a lot of the infrastructure for their own rocket launches. And since missiles are pretty similar to rockets, it was a no-brainer. The marriage of NASA with the existing infrastructure was like a match made in heaven.

Plus, when NASA chose the site, it was pretty much a blank canvas. There were miles of emptiness for expansion, but paved roads existed from the Air Force missile test facility operations. This limited the work needed for NASA to get the site up and running for rocket launches.

#6 Pristine weather

The weather at Cape Canaveral is pretty fantastic year-round. The table below shows the average temperature for every month of the year, which allows for launches all year long. After all, who wants space travel to be a seasonal activity?…

According to Weather Spark,

“In Cape Canaveral, the summers are long, hot, oppressive, wet, and mostly cloudy and the winters are short, cool, windy, and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 54°F to 89°F and is rarely below 40°F or above 92°F.”

Sure, there are some thunderstorms, heavy rain, and hurricanes now and then. But overall, the weather is pretty ideal for rocket launches.

“Why is Cape Canaveral a launch site?” wrap up

Yeah, there’s land closer to the equator than Cape Canaveral. But the question is, what U.S. territory is nearest to the equator? Florida, of course!

Plus, almost all other land options aren’t on the continental U.S.

So, from a business-economic standpoint, there are tradeoffs. But all things considered, Cape Canaveral is the sweet spot for rocket launches. It’s like Earth handed us this location and said, “Use this as your springboard into the cosmos.”

I just hope Cape Canaveral doesn’t disappear as oceans rise in the near future. That’d be the only reason we’d ever abandon this treasured launch site. Because the location is simply too awesome, checking off every box you’d want in a rocket launch site.

What do you think is the most important reason out of the 6 discussed? Do you believe Cape Canaveral is the best launch site in the U.S. for rockets?

Featured Image Photo Credit: NASA (image cropped)

Engineer Calcs

Koosha started Engineer Calcs in 2020 to help people better understand the engineering and construction industry, and to discuss various science and engineering-related topics to make people think. He has been working in the engineering and tech industry in California for over 15 years now and is a licensed professional electrical engineer, and also has various entrepreneurial pursuits.

Koosha has an extensive background in the design and specification of electrical systems with areas of expertise including power generation, transmission, distribution, instrumentation and controls, and water distribution and pumping as well as alternative energy (wind, solar, geothermal, and storage).

Koosha is most interested in engineering innovations, the cosmos, our history and future, sports, and fitness.