Question

why are satellite launching pads near to equator??

Answer 1

launching a rocket from the east coast gives an additional boost to the rocket,due to the rotational speed of earth. Also, these rocket travel eastward,so if anyting goes wrong during their escent,the debris would essentially fall to and ocean's waters,far away from densely populated areas.

Answer 2

If a ship is launched from the equatorit goes up into space, and it is also moving around the Earth at the same speed it was moving before launching. This is because of inertia. This speed will help the spacecraft keep up a good enough speed to stay in orbit.