Equator
The equator is an imaginary line that circles the Earth, equidistant from the North and South poles. It divides the Earth into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. In space and astronautical engineering, the equator is an important reference line for launching spacecraft into orbit. Launching from the equator provides a significant advantage due to the Earth's rotation, which provides an additional velocity boost to the spacecraft. This is known as the 'slingshot effect' or 'gravity assist'. The closer a launch site is to the equator, the greater the velocity boost. Many countries with equatorial locations, such as French Guiana, have established spaceports for this reason.
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