First, it's Baikonur, not Balkanour.
Next, it's very misleading to claim that the higher latitude of Baikonur (~46 deg) means that a 56 degree orbit can be reached easier because 'the shuttle gains less from the Earth's rotation'. That is simply not true. The reason the shuttle carries a lower payload is because it must *change* it's orbital inclination to reach the 56 degree ISS orbit.
Cape Canaveral, at ~28 deg latitude, will 'gain more from the Earth's rotation' to a simple low-inclination orbit because it is closer to the equator (0 deg latitude). It then takes more energy to change the orbit to reach a 56 degree inclination orbit and this is why the shuttle carried lower payloads, not because it 'gains less from the Earth's rotation'.
While heavier payloads to a 56 degree orbit for the ISS may be easier from Baikonur, that is because less energy is required to move from a 46 degree latitude to a 56 degree orbit to match the ISS and not because it 'gains more from the Earth's rotation'. It actually gains less because it is at a higher latitude that carries less benefit from relative rotation. (no matter which is rotating, earth or universe.)
A low-latitude launch to a low-inclination orbit will require less energy than a high-latitude launch to a high-inclination orbit because the low-latitude launch 'gains more from the Earth's rotation'.
This is easily understood if you assume launch at 90 deg latitude (N or S pole) and a 90 degree inclination you will get zero benefit from relative rotation. Likewise, if you assume launch at 0 deg latitude and a 0 deg inclination orbit you will gain maximum benefit from relative rotation.
Orion just got confused by the specific orbital inclination (56 deg) and the fact that the shuttle has to expend more fuel changing it's orbital inclination to match the ISS than the Russians than it gains from relative rotation. The 56 deg ISS orbital inclination was a concession by the US to gain Russian participation.
http://www.mattwriter.com/blog/2005_09_01_archive.htm
> The reason the shuttle carries a lower payload is because it must *change* it's orbital inclination to reach the 56 degree ISS orbit.
ERRR. WRONG. The Shuttle does not "change" it's orbital inclination to reach ISS; it launches straight to 56 degrees right from the pad. The Shuttle has nowhere near the delta-V capability to do an orbital inclination change of that magnitude while on orbit.
If the Earth did not rotate, then the Shuttle would have exactly the same payload no matter what orbital inclination, or what the launch latitude. it simply would not matter.But the rotation of the Earth provides a boost for low-latitude launch site flying low-inclination orbits. It provides no boost whatsoever to polar launch sites flying polar orbits. it provides a serious *hinderance* to low-latitude launch sites flying west. So far, only one nations - so far as I know - has ever launched satellites ina retrograde (west) orbit... israel. Cuz they don;t have the political option to fly east.
GourmetDan just got confused because this is a topic he knows nothing about.