How does the JSON output and object description table of rocket launch API made by Rocket Launch function?

In this article, I will be providing a clear explanation of the object table and JSON output of the Rocket Launch API. For readers who are familiar with programming and have a general understanding of what an object table and JSON output are, this article will focus specifically on these two aspects and provide a detailed explanation of how they are used in the context of the Rocket Launch API. By the end of this article, you should have a better understanding of how to interpret the object table and JSON output provided by the Rocket Launch API.

API Object Table

1. sort_date: A Unix timestamp of the launch date for sorting, taking into account "estimated" launch dates.

2. name: The name of the launch, generally derived from the primary mission's name.

3. provider: An object with launch provider information, which may include the name, abbreviation, and website of the provider.

4. vehicle: An object with launch vehicle information, which may include the name, family, and configuration of the rocket used in the launch.

5. pad: An object with launch pad information, which may include the name, location, latitude, and longitude of the launch site.

6. missions: An array of objects with mission information, which may include the name, description, and type of each mission associated with the launch.

7. launch_description: A standardized one sentence description of the launch, which may include the name of the launch, the vehicle used, and the launch site.

8. win_open: The date and time of the opening of the launch window in ISO 8601 format.

9. t0: The date and time of the planned launch time (T-0) in ISO 8601 format.

10. win_close: The date and time of the closing of the launch window in ISO 8601 format.

11. est_date: The known or estimated elements of the launch date, if an exact date/time is not known. This may include the year, month, day, and/or time of day.

12. date_str: The same date string on the front page of RocketLaunch.Live, which may include the launch date, name, and provider.

13. tags: An array of tag objects assigned to the launch, which may include the category, type, or theme of the launch.

14. slug: The canonical URL slug of the launch, used in launch page URLs (i.e. rocketlaunch.live/launch<slug>), which may include a shortened or simplified version of the launch name.

15. weather_summary: A summary of the weather forecast for launch time (provided by darksky.net), which may include the temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and cloud cover.

16. weather_temp: The forecasted temperature at launch time (currently in Fahrenheit only), which may be used to determine if the launch is likely to proceed as scheduled.

17. weather_icon: The appropriate icon code for the forecasted weather at launch time (erikflowers.github.io/weather-icons), which may be used to display a visual representation of the weather conditions.

18. weather_updated: The date and time of when the weather was last updated (currently every 8 hours), which may be used to determine if the weather forecast is current.

19. quicktext: Standardized text showing the vehicle, mission name, launch time, and a link to the stream, which may be used to provide a concise summary of the launch information.

20. media: The media associated with this launch (Premium only), which may include images, videos, or other multimedia content related to the launch.

The information in the table is useful for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it provides comprehensive details about upcoming rocket launches, including information about the launch provider, launch vehicle, and launch site. This information can be useful for anyone who is interested in space exploration, whether they are a casual observer or a serious researcher. Secondly, the launch date and time, as well as the weather forecast for the launch, can be essential information for those planning to watch a launch live or remotely. Additionally, the standardized one-sentence description of the launch and the quicktext field can provide a concise summary of the most important information related to the launch. Lastly, the table can be used to sort and filter launches by different criteria, such as launch provider, launch vehicle, or launch date, making it a valuable tool for anyone interested in tracking rocket launches.

JSON explained

The JSON output provides information about upcoming rocket launches, including details such as launch provider, launch vehicle, launch site, launch date and time, and weather forecast for the launch. The output also includes a standardized one-sentence description of the launch, a quicktext field, and an array of tag objects assigned to the launch. Additionally, the JSON output contains data about the mission, such as the mission name, a description of the mission, and an array of mission information objects. The media associated with the launch is also included in the output. Overall, this information can be valuable for anyone interested in tracking rocket launches or planning to watch a launch live or remotely.

{"valid_auth":false,"count":5,"limit":5,"total":122,"last_page":25,"result":[{"id":38,"cospar_id":"","sort_date":"1668581264","name":"Artemis I (EM-1)","provider":{"id":2,"name":"NASA","slug":"nasa"},"vehicle":{"id":15,"name":"SLS","company_id":2,"slug":"sls"},"pad":{"id":36,"name":"LC-39B","location":{"id":61,"name":"Kennedy Space Center","state":"FL","statename":"Florida","country":"United States","slug":"kennedy-space-center"}},"missions":[{"id":35,"name":"Artemis I (EM-1)","description":"On its debut flight, the Space Launch System (SLS) will send an uncrewed Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle on a four to six-week mission to the Moon and back, including 6 days in a retrograde lunar orbit."}],"mission_description":"On its debut flight, the Space Launch System (SLS) will send an uncrewed Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle on a four to six-week mission to the Moon and back, including 6 days in a retrograde lunar orbit.","launch_description":"A NASA SLS rocket was set to launch the Artemis I (EM-1) mission on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at 6:47 AM (UTC).","win_open":"2022-11-16T06:04Z","t0":"2022-11-16T06:47Z","win_close":null,"est_date":{"month":null,"day":null,"year":null,"quarter":null},"date_str":"Nov 16","tags":[{"id":48,"text":"Lunar Orbit"},{"id":91,"text":"Series: NASA Artemis"},{"id":23,"text":"Test Flight"},{"id":21,"text":"Uncrewed"},{"id":14,"text":"Vehicle Debut"}],"slug":"em-1","weather_summary":"Mostly Cloudy\nTemp: 69.26F\nWind: 7.76mph\n","weather_temp":69.26,"weather_condition":"Mostly Cloudy","weather_wind_mph":7.76,"weather_icon":"wi-night-alt-cloudy","weather_updated":"2022-11-16T00:00:17+00:00","quicktext":"SLS - Artemis I (EM-1) - Wed Nov 16, 2022 06:04:00 UTC (L+02:23:03) - https:\/\/rocketlaunch.live\/launch\/em-1 for info\/stream","media":[],"result":-1,"suborbital":false,"modified":"2022-11-16T06:38:25+00:00"},{"id":3256,"cospar_id":"","sort_date":"1668655320","name":"Starlink-66 (2-4)","provider":{"id":1,"name":"SpaceX","slug":"spacex"},"vehicle":{"id":1,"name":"Falcon 9","company_id":1,"slug":"falcon-9"},"pad":{"id":1,"name":"SLC-4E","location":{"id":60,"name":"Vandenberg SFB","state":"CA","statename":"California","country":"United States","slug":"vandenberg-sfb"}},"missions":[{"id":4992,"name":"Starlink-66 (2-4)","description":null}],"mission_description":null,"launch_description":"A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Starlink-66 (2-4) mission on Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 3:22 AM (UTC).","win_open":"2022-11-17T03:22Z","t0":null,"win_close":null,"est_date":{"month":null,"day":null,"year":null,"quarter":null},"date_str":"Nov 17","tags":[{"id":92,"text":"Series: SpaceX Starlink"}],"slug":"starlink-66-2-4","weather_summary":"Clear\nTemp: 53.89F\nWind: 6.65mph\n","weather_temp":53.89,"weather_condition":"Clear","weather_wind_mph":6.65,"weather_icon":"wi-night-clear","weather_updated":"2022-11-16T00:00:18+00:00","quicktext":"Falcon 9 - Starlink-66 (2-4) - Thu Nov 17, 2022 03:22:00 UTC (L-18:54:57) - https:\/\/rocketlaunch.live\/launch\/starlink-66-2-4 for info\/stream","media":[],"result":-1,"suborbital":false,"modified":"2022-11-12T13:30:52+00:00"},{"id":2699,"cospar_id":"","sort_date":"1668722400","name":"RS1 Flight 1","provider":{"id":142,"name":"ABL Space","slug":"abl-space"},"vehicle":{"id":121,"name":"RS1","company_id":142,"slug":"rs1"},"pad":{"id":126,"name":"LP-3C","location":{"id":47,"name":"Pacific Spaceport Complex - Alaska","state":"AK","statename":"Alaska","country":"United States","slug":"pacific-spaceport-complex-alaska"}},"missions":[{"id":4199,"name":"RS1 Flight 1","description":null}],"mission_description":null,"launch_description":"An ABL Space RS1 rocket will launch the RS1 Flight 1 mission on Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 10:00 PM (UTC).","win_open":"2022-11-17T22:00Z","t0":null,"win_close":null,"est_date":{"month":null,"day":null,"year":null,"quarter":null},"date_str":"Nov 17","tags":[{"id":23,"text":"Test Flight"},{"id":14,"text":"Vehicle Debut"}],"slug":"rs1-flight-1","weather_summary":"Overcast\nTemp: 43.46F\nWind: 16.24mph\n","weather_temp":43.46,"weather_condition":"Overcast","weather_wind_mph":16.24,"weather_icon":"wi-cloudy","weather_updated":"2022-11-16T00:00:18+00:00","quicktext":"RS1 - RS1 Flight 1 - Thu Nov 17, 2022 22:00:00 UTC (L-1 days, 13:32:57) - https:\/\/rocketlaunch.live\/launch\/rs1-flight-1 for info\/stream","media":[],"result":-1,"suborbital":false,"modified":"2022-11-15T23:50:44+00:00"}

In conclusion

In this article, we discussed the object table and JSON output of the Rocket Launch rocket launch API. We listed and described the objects and their respective fields in the JSON output, and highlighted the usefulness of the information provided in the table and JSON for anyone interested in space exploration or tracking rocket launches. The JSON output includes comprehensive details about upcoming rocket launches, including mission and launch information, weather forecasts, and media associated with the launch. Overall, the Rocket Launch rocket launch API provides a valuable resource for staying up-to-date with the latest developments in rocket launches.

Note

Interested parties can request access to the Rocket Launch rocket launch API through the third-party data marketplace of Worldindata. Worldindata offers a data subscription service that provides access to a wide range of datasets, including rocket launch data from Rocket Launch. Once subscribed, users can access the Rocket Launch API and integrate the data into their own applications or tools. This offers a great opportunity for individuals or organizations interested in tracking rocket launches to access a comprehensive and up-to-date dataset from Rocket Launch through the convenience of an API.