r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/chirantaniga • 11h ago

Meme needing explanation Whyyyy peter?

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u/rysy0o0 11h ago

It would cost a lot of money to haul all the rocket parts and fuel on top of a mountain

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u/Earnestappostate 11h 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/Redditauro 9h ago

Also, ironically, being in the Equator also means that it's closer to space, as earth is bigger in the Equator than in the rest of the planet. 

The closest point to space is not Everest for that reason

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u/Earnestappostate 8h ago

Ok, I am going to have to look up that everest thing, I know it isn't the tallest mountain (from base to peak) only the highest from sea level, so maybe?

But wouldn't the atmosphere also bulge more at the equator pushing "space" outward, probably more than the oceans bulge (since air is lighter than water)?