>>12763715>When you're launching a rocket into space why are you restricted by the latitude.Because unless you perform a dogleg/plane change maneuver, your orbit will necessarily have to cross over the point you launched from (minus Earth's rotation) on subsequent orbits. This places a lower limit on the orbital inclination of a direct-ascent orbit.
>Why can't you go into an orbit with a lower inclination?You can with a dogleg maneuver (by launching towards the equator, then using propellant to turn east instead of accelerate), or a more costly plane change (by entering orbit then burning propellant over the equator to reduce inclination of that orbit).
>I understand it would be less fuel efficient, but other than that what is the problem?The problem is that it's less fuel efficient. A LOT less efficient. It's essentially as costly as an equatorial launch PLUS a suborbital flight from the non-equatorial launch site to the equator.
Interesting note, due to the Oberth effect, plane change maneuvers are less costly in higher orbits or at higher points in elliptical orbits or suborbital trajectories. This is why Russian geostationary launches tend to launch into a highly-inclined elliptical transfer orbit with the apogee over the equator, then perform a plane change simultaneously with the circularization burn to GSO.
