What's the right rocket to launch a robot?
Find out more, right now on 'Space Shorts.'
Rockets come in lots of shapes and sizes.
So what's the right rocket for a space-exploring robot?
Choosing a rocket depends on three things:
how much the robot weighs;
how far away it's going;
and what it's going to do.
When the robot is small and light, and stays close to study Earth, a small rocket is A-OK.
When the robot is large and heavy, with lots and lots of gear, and travels far away in the solar system,
a big, powerful rocket is what will do the job.
It's hard to find the perfect match,
but that's the mission of all the dedicated people in NASA's Launch Services Program.
They've launched more than 200 rocket/robot combos,
connecting us all to discovery in the universe.
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