Spaceport
A
spaceport or
cosmodrome is a site for launching spacecraft, by analogy with seaport for ships or airport for aircraft. The word
spaceport, and even more so
cosmodrome, has traditionally been used for sites capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary trajectories. However, rocket launch sites for purely sub-orbital flights are sometimes called spaceports, as in recent years new and proposed sites for suborbital human flights have been frequently referred to or named 'spaceports'. Space stations and proposed future bases on the moon are sometimes called spaceports, in particular if intended as a base for further journeys. The term
rocket launch site is used for any facility from which rockets are launched. It may contain one or more launch pads or suitable sites to mount a transportable launch pad. It is typically surrounded by a large safety area, often called a
rocket range or
missile range. The range includes the area over which launched rockets are expected to fly, and within which some components of the rockets may land.