If you look at the map of the world's spaceports, you will see that most of them are located near the equatorial line (but, of course, not all). Does this have some kind of "hidden" meaning?
It is said that launching a rocket from the equatorial part of the Earth saves a lot of fuel compared to launching a rocket from Baikonur. Is it so?
The selection of the ideal launch pad for a spacecraft involves many different parameters. One of the main challenges for space engineers and researchers is to ensure that the rocket receives as much "natural thrust" as possible during launch.
The speed of rotation of our planet around the Sun is 108,000 km / h. And if the rocket is launched in the same direction as the planet, it has the advantage!
Another type of motion of our planet is rotational, i.e. our Earth is constantly rotating on its axis. Interestingly, the speed of rotation is not the same throughout the planet. It is highest in the regions closest to the equator (the average equatorial speed is 1674 km / h), while in the polar regions it is practically absent.
Moreover, for example, American researchers take into account that the Earth rotates from west to east. That is why almost all US spaceports are located on the east coast. This allows them to avoid debris falling on the ground if something goes wrong. This is most easily understood by looking at the photo:
Blue (light blue) color indicates the launch site, green - flight path, red - descent path.
However, not all missiles are launched from equatorial regions. For example, satellites that need to enter polar orbit around the Earth, in principle, will not be able to rely on the Earth's natural torque as they will move either northward or south.
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