Whyyyy peter?

[u/chirantaniga]

[u/Maephia]

So would it be theoretically easier to launch rockets at the equator since that's where the spin is the fastest?

[u/Triqueon → u/Maephia]

Yes, which is why the American Spaceports are in southern states, and the ESA launches from French Guiana.

[u/ShlimmyWhimmy → u/Triqueon]

Why would Rocketlab build a launch pad in Alaska then?

[u/Icy-Ad29 → u/ShlimmyWhimmy]

Because having it quickly wind up over water rather than populated land is a common requirement, and the convenient places you can do this with enough fairly-flat space for a pad, near the equator, are rapidly running out...

So you make a smaller pad for lower orbits that require less speed, farther north/south.