Gravitational energy is the potential energy stored in an object due to its position in a gravitational field. It is the energy an object has by virtue of its mass and its distance from the center of the Earth or another massive object.
Satellites in orbit around the Earth have a large amount of gravitational energy. This energy is necessary to keep the satellite in orbit and prevents it from falling back to Earth.
The equation for calculating gravitational energy is E = -GMm/r, where E is the energy, G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the larger object, m is the mass of the smaller object, and r is the distance between the two objects.
As a satellite moves from r1 to r2, its distance from the center of the Earth changes. This affects the amount of gravitational energy it has. As the distance increases, the gravitational energy decreases.
Yes, the gravitational energy of a satellite can be converted into other forms of energy, such as kinetic energy or thermal energy, when the satellite is in motion or experiences friction with the Earth's atmosphere.