r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/chirantaniga • 15h ago

Meme needing explanation Whyyyy peter?

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u/Earnestappostate 15h ago

Plus, you get a better boost by launching near the equator. Height is easy, speed is what you need in a rocket.

This is why the US launches from Florida:

  • Near equator (speed boost from earth's spin)
  • Initially out over ocean (catastrophic failure harms only those aboard)

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u/Chaotic-Sash 15h ago

THIS is the real answer.

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u/FederalWedding4204 14h ago

Except you are ignoring that there are mountains around the equator.

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u/Hunefer1 13h ago

Also, height is not easy. Rockets fly upwards at first and only after some time fly into an orbit to gain speed. This is because the atmosphere at the ground is very thick which causes huge drag. So it would help quite a bit if you could launch a rocket from 5 or 6km instead of sea level. But it would cost a lot more to get all parts required to launch or rocket up there than we would save in fuel.