I Orbital maneuver by applying a thrust in the radial direction

Click For Summary
Radial thrust applied at perigee affects the spacecraft's energy without changing its angular momentum, as the thrust is central and does not create torque. This thrust increases the spacecraft's velocity in the radial direction, which leads to a higher mechanical energy due to the relationship between energy and velocity. However, the discussion reveals confusion regarding the nature of thrust and its impact on angular momentum, particularly when considering impulsive versus continuous thrust. The ambiguity in defining "radial direction" complicates the understanding of how thrust interacts with the spacecraft's trajectory. Ultimately, while radial thrust can change the orbit's eccentricity and energy, it must be applied carefully to maintain angular momentum.
  • #61
jbriggs444 said:
If I were less lazy,
You wouldn't know a short fellow called Tom Sawyer would you ?...
Anyhow I took what @DrStupid did and made a little graph which I find useful. First I will choose some natural units ##r_0,g_0, m=1## to write the effective potential$$V_{eff}(r)=\frac 1 {2r^2}-\frac 1 r -a(r-1)$$ where I have changed the zero for the "added" radial potential . The graph and a "blown up" version near the minimum show the potential for various values of a. I think it comports with all the analyses.
I need pictures.
 

Attachments

  • Like
Likes A.T. and jbriggs444
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #62
hutchphd said:
You wouldn't know a short fellow called Tom Sawyer would you ?...
ROFL. Only a really smart person is good enough to do those boards.
 
  • Like
Likes hutchphd
  • #63
hutchphd said:
Anyhow I took what @DrStupid did and made a little graph which I find useful. First I will choose some natural units ##r_0,g_0, m=1## to write the effective potential$$V_{eff}(r)=\frac 1 {2r^2}-\frac 1 r -a(r-1)$$ where I have changed the zero for the "added" radial potential . The graph and a "blown up" version near the minimum show the potential for various values of a. I think it comports with all the analyses.
I need pictures.
Yes, thank you! This is what I envisioned in post #56. I added some additional marks to your plot. For thrust higher than 0.125 the right maximum of the potential will drop below the value of the circular orbit (dotted red line) and can be overcome to escape.

eff_pot.png
 
  • Like
Likes hutchphd

Similar threads

  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
19
Views
4K
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
15
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
5K