Help with Orbital Mechanics: First Post

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around a student's challenges in understanding orbital mechanics, specifically in calculating the specific angular momentum, satellite inclination, ascending node vector, and right ascension of the ascending node from given R and V vectors. The specific angular momentum can be calculated using the formula r × v, where "r" is the position vector and "v" is the velocity vector. Understanding the significance of each variable in the formulas is crucial for grasping the concepts. The student is encouraged to refer to their textbook for detailed explanations and to consult additional resources like Wikipedia for further clarification. Mastering these calculations is essential for a solid foundation in orbital mechanics.
Cghnasa
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First post here, I'm a student in a BS in Space Studies program and I'm having a little trouble.

I have

R vectors = rI rJ rK
V vectors= vI vJ vK

( I'm not putting in numbers to avoid someone doing my homework for me)

I am having a hard time wraping my brain around getting from that to

a. What is the specific angular momentum of the satellite?
b. What is the satellite's inclination?
c. Calculate the ascending node vector.
d. What is the spacecraft 's right ascension of the ascending node?

Can someone show me how to figure these out and tell me why?
I think by biggest problem is that I want to know why I need to plug this number into that spot in the formula.

Thanks for your help!
 
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Angular momentum is just r×p, where p is the linear momentum vector, p=mv. "Specific" in this case means "divided by mass". Specific angular momentum is thus angular momentum divided by mass, or just r×v.

As for computing Keplerian orbital elements given a state vector, your textbook is the best bet. The specific angular momentum is key in computing several of those elements. If your textbook is inscrutable, perhaps this wikipedia page and the links on it will help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_state_vectors.
 

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