A satellite can be thought as an object that orbits around a large body mass. Human-made satellites are launched into space with a purpose of communication, scientific research, weather forecasting, intelligence purpose among other broad applications. The motion of a satellite around a massive body is a projectile. Upon reaching the space, the only gravitational force acts upon the satellite. However, when launched at a sufficient speed, any satellite will orbit any large body. When launching satellites to orbit around the Mars, scientists have to determine the exact speed to launch the satellite so that it can remain on the orbit (Yvelyne 86). From the laws governing a projectile launched body, a satellite moves in a direction that is tangent to the Mars. As a result, the force of gravity of the Mars acts to pull it down. If the commence speed is too small, the launched body would fall to the Mars as the Mars’s gravitational forces would pull it down. When started with sufficient speed, the body would take a circular path and would fall to surface or Mars (Léonie, Léonie and Grady 13). When the launch speeds are made to be significantly large, the projected body moves at an elliptical path. At every point along the trajectory path, the satellite falls towards the surface of the Mars. However, it does not reach the surface of the Mars. For the case of this essay, the primary objective is to develop preliminary calculations. The scheming will show how high the satellite must be placed above the surface of the planet Mars and the speed that it must maintain while on the orbit.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Laws
- Calculations
- Results
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The main objective of this work is to perform preliminary calculations for a satellite orbiting Mars. The calculations aim to determine the necessary altitude and speed for the satellite to maintain a stable orbit around the planet.
- Newtonian laws of motion applied to satellite orbits
- Relationship between gravitational force and orbital period
- Determination of orbital speed and altitude
- Application of Kepler's third law
- Concept of stationary satellites
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This section provides a general overview of satellites and their purpose, focusing specifically on the challenges of launching a satellite into orbit around Mars. It highlights the importance of determining the appropriate launch speed to ensure a stable orbit.
- Laws: This chapter outlines the fundamental laws governing the motion of a satellite around Mars. It emphasizes the application of Newton's laws of motion, specifically the law of acceleration and Newton's form of Kepler's third law, to understand the relationship between gravitational force and orbital period.
- Calculations: This section delves into the mathematical derivation of the equations necessary to calculate the required orbital speed and altitude of a satellite orbiting Mars. It utilizes Newton's gravitational laws and the concept of centripetal force to develop a formula for determining the satellite's orbital velocity based on the mass of Mars and the radius of the orbit.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords and focus topics of this text include satellite orbits, gravitational force, orbital period, Newton's laws of motion, Kepler's third law, centripetal force, orbital speed, orbital altitude, stationary satellites, and Mars.
- Quote paper
- Amos Wesonga (Author), 2018, NASA Preliminary Calculations, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/429321
