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According to this article from Discover magazine, the flight paths of most rockets launching out of Baikonur pass over the Altai region of Russia (this has the side effect of large quantities of spent hardware falling in the Altai, which is the primary focus of the article in question). However, this requires that rockets from Baikonur launch with a considerable northward component to their trajectory (Baikonur is at latitude +45.965 degrees, whereas the southernmost point of the Altai is at latitude +49.07 degrees). This makes sense for, say, launches to the ISS (inclination +51.64 degrees); however, a large proportion of Baikonur's launches are instead headed to geostationary transfer orbit (inclination +0 degrees), for which launching due eastward is the most efficient trajectory, and heading northeastward instead of eastward is counterproductive, as it adds more inclination that will have to be nulled out later.

So why do rockets from Baikonur bound for GTO launch to the northeast, rather than due east?

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    $\begingroup$ I'm sure this question was already answered, but can't find.. Short answer - because Russia wants to have rocket's ground track inside own territory, not over China or Mongolia (because of possible political problems, technonogies safety, etc.) $\endgroup$
    – Heopps
    Jul 22, 2018 at 7:08
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    $\begingroup$ Re-read your question. Does ALL the rockets's ground track inside Kazakhstan and Russia with +49.07 inclination (includuing Far East Asia)? The picture would be nice. $\endgroup$
    – Heopps
    Jul 22, 2018 at 7:12
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    $\begingroup$ Slightly related: Why did the Russians choose to locate their new spaceport at Vostochny? It's about not launching over foreign territory which can create all kind of legal and political problems. $\endgroup$
    – DarkDust
    Jul 22, 2018 at 8:24

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So why do rockets from Baikonur bound for GTO launch to the northeast, rather than due east?

A quick look at a map shows that if you aim any further south than Altai you risk dumping your space junk in China and Mongolia. China in particular probably wouldn't like that, so I'm guessing they steer well clear.

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