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Old 11-26-2013 | 08:29 AM
  #143486  
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Carl Spackler
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Originally Posted by tomgoodman
I believe that a rocket launched from the Kourou (French Guiana) site can handle a geostationary payload about 15% greater than if launched from Canaveral. Perhaps this satellite isn't heavy enough to require the extra performance, and they already have infrastructure in place at the Cape. If they moved the same rocket to Kourou it would still have to be fully fueled, for structural reasons, so they'd just schedule a shorter burn.
I guess that's right. If they didn't need the extra payload capacity.

I didn't know that those rockets need to launch fully loaded with fuel for structural reasons. They're most vulnerable structurally at MaxQ, and fuel at that velocity is well below full.

Carl