A launch is the act of throwing something into the air with great force. It can also refer to the moment when a rocket or spacecraft leaves the ground and starts moving upwards. Launches are often used to send objects into space.
Rockets are the most common type of launcher. They work by using fuel to create thrust. The fuel is burned in a chamber, which creates hot gases. These gases push against the walls of the chamber and escape through a nozzle at high speed. This pushes the rocket forwards. As the rocket burns its fuel, it becomes lighter and so it can go faster and higher.
Spacecraft are often launched on top of rockets. This is because they need a lot of energy to escape Earth’s gravity and reach orbit around our planet. Once a spacecraft is in orbit, it can use less fuel to move around, as there is no gravity pulling it back down towards Earth.
Launching something into space requires careful planning and preparation. The journey from Earth’s surface up into space is very dangerous for anything that isn’t designed to withstand extreme conditions like heat, cold, vacuum and pressure changes. That’s why rockets and spacecraft are tested extensively before being used for real launches.