Florida is a somewhat famous place for rocket launches from NASA, SpaceX, and other space-related entities. But have you ever wondered why rocket engineers chose Florida for building the launch pad?
It all comes down to speed. Rockets receive a small speed boost from the Earth's rotation, and regions closer to the equator are rotating at a faster pace than areas closer to our planet's poles. That said rocket scientists have learned that they can send heavier equipment into space with less fuel by launching rockets from specific places on our planet.
Cape Canaveral, Florida makes for a great launch site - it's closer to the equator than most other parts of the contiguous United States, and it isn't densely-populated. More importantly, Florida is surrounded by vast ocean water to the East, so problematic rockets aren't likely to cause safety hazards for anyone below.
Given all the factors at work here, Florida seems like the ideal place for United States-based rocket launches.
