Shitposting

So we've mentioned a couple of reasons so far which I'll list:

• we want launch sites on the coast rather than inland so anything the detatches from the ship falls harmlessly into the ocean
• it's more costly to build a launch site on a mountain where you have to transport everything up and down the slopes.

I think it's also important to point out that even the tallest mountains only reach less than 10,000 meters above sea level, and the lowest satellite in low earth orbit is approximately 160 km above the earth's surface. So you'd be doing all that work on a mountain top with more unpredictable weather and harsher navigation just to trim off less than 10 % of the fuel you need to get to LEO.

She asked a question because she wanted to learn more. Batman is being a dick because he wants to feel better about himself. Be more like Akai.

Don't punish curiosity, not even in adults.

I dunno if this is so obvious that nobody has mentioned it, but they launch near the equator because that is where the earth spins the fastest, and the rocket is already loaded up with a proportional amount of angular momentum to carry into space with it. Therefore, less fuel is required to get the rocket into space.

Having a launch site inland is asking for trouble if anything goes wrong. Nobody likes having rocket stages dropped on their head. That's why launch sites tend to be on the coast. On top of that, a rocket launch requires a lot of logistics. That means you'd have to lug a lot of stuff up a mountain and build all the infrastructure to do it, like roads. That would make the launches way more expensive. A rocket launch is a major industrial undertaking so having the necessary infrastructure at hand is a huge advantage.

We gonna build a big-ass ramp up the side of Everest and Evel Kneivel our way into orbit!

Debris falling on people is too costly. Accidents, aborted flights, and spent first stage rockets are too much liability.

We should launch those from space.

I imagine the cost to build a facility and get the rocket on a mountain would be higher

The answer is money.