Spaceflight

They fly the rockets over the ocean.

Vulcan launched from Cape Canaveral Florida. This is the launch site that the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs used. If you're trying to reach an equatorial orbit, the rocket will launch eastward. Cape Canaveral is a great choice for these launches because the rocket will fly over the open ocean, away from the people they might endanger.

Launch sites are located in places where there aren't many people in the direction they intend to launch.