Launching a rocket due east from the equator would have definite advantages for attempts to put payloads into orbit. Doing so would use the Earth's rotation to help speed the payload skyward. At the equator, that free speed is about one thousand miles an hour.
The problem is that most of the equator runs through ocean. So, The Sea Launch Company has built a floating launch platform that is towed to the equater. The company's latest attempt to launch a satellite was thwarted by strong Pacific currents and high winds due to La Nina conditions. The launch will be rescheduled.
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