Space, Earth and the natural world, explained.
Plain-English answers to the science questions people ask most, checked against agencies, museums and peer-reviewed journals.
The FAA does not certify rockets the way it certifies airliners. It licenses launches to protect the public, and it can halt flights after a mishap until safety questions are answered.
Every satellite launch is aimed at a particular orbit. Its height and tilt decide what the satellite can do, which pad it leaves from and which way the rocket flies.
There is no sharp edge where the air stops. Two lines are in common use, and which one a flight crosses decides whether its passengers count as having reached space.
Launch webcasts call out Max Q, MECO, stage separation and the entry burn in quick succession. This is what each one means and roughly when it happens on a Falcon 9.
Cape Canaveral, Vandenberg, Wallops and Starbase were each picked for a mix of latitude, open water downrange and room to keep people safe.
Launch prices are rarely posted in full. Here is what SpaceX and NASA have published, and why a NASA mission on the same rocket can cost far more than the list price.
From the speed needed to stay in orbit to the fastest object people have built, here are NASA's figures and why rockets spend most of their climb going sideways.
Launch schedules and webcasts are full of shorthand. This glossary explains the countdown terms you will hear most, with an example of each.
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