Instead, it's accomplished by something most people likely don't consider when thinking about how an aircraft carrier operates. Carriers use catapults to launch aircraft off the deck and into the ...

The EMALS is an electromagnetic catapult that relies upon a linear induction motor, rather than a traditional steam piston, ...

Satellite imagery indicates that Beijing might already be working on its fourth aircraft carrier—and this carrier is likely to be nuclear-powered.

Both ships, which are named the Liaoning and Shandong, respectively, lack catapults. However, they are equipped with a ski ramp to launch fixed-wing aircraft, which has so far only included the J-15.

When the time came to take off and land on the aircraft carrier, Denkler said it was a rush. “I don’t know if the bigger rush is the trap or the catapult shot,” she said. “The LSOs ...