RocketSTEM Issue #5 - January 2014 | Page 61

The horizontal axis represents the orbital altitude, and the vertical axis represents the payload weight. For the purposes of this exercise, we will be launching from - err - taking off from Spaceport America near Las Cruces, New Mexico, which is located at 33 degrees N Latitude. The orbital inclination will always be the same as the latitude of the launch site (unless, of course, you ex