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[i] Earth is going 30 km/s. An Atlas can add a few km/s to that, in a direction we choose. We have to choose carefully or we won't get to Mars. Earth and Mars are in nearly the same plane, but not exactly. So we have to aim a bit out of the plane to get there. Add in Earth's tilt, and you get a parameter we call the declination, or "DLA." Even a smallish plane change can lead to a big DLA, alas. In order to escape Earth in the right direction efficiently, the park orbit inclination needs to be less than the DLA. But that's all. A polar orbit can get to any DLA. How, you ask? Consider a polar orbit. As it goes around, the velocity goes from pointing "up" at equator to "horizontally" at the poles. When the departure burn happens, how far "up" or "down" the velocity is pointing becomes the DLA. Voila, a polar orbit can reach any DLA![/i]
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