Orbits: Firing satellite to Moon

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the dynamics of firing a satellite to the Moon, specifically addressing the effects of energy and angular momentum on orbital trajectories. It is established that increasing energy shifts the orbital graph upwards, while increasing angular momentum influences the trajectory's direction. The participants highlight the importance of ignoring the Moon's gravitational effects, noting that without it, the satellite would not enter an elliptical orbit but would instead reach a maximum distance before returning in a straight line. This leads to the conclusion that the satellite's relative velocity aligns with that of the Moon.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of orbital mechanics
  • Familiarity with energy and angular momentum concepts
  • Basic knowledge of gravitational effects in celestial mechanics
  • Ability to sketch and interpret orbital graphs
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of orbital mechanics in detail
  • Study the effects of angular momentum on satellite trajectories
  • Learn about energy conservation in celestial dynamics
  • Explore the mathematical modeling of satellite orbits
USEFUL FOR

Aerospace engineers, physics students, and anyone interested in satellite dynamics and orbital mechanics will benefit from this discussion.

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Homework Statement


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Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution


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Parts I'm unsure of:
Sketching of graphs in (a) and (b). I know increasing its energy will shift the entire graph upwards. But does it shift it rightwards if the angular momentum is increased?

Last part, they said to ignore the gravitational effects of the moon. But clearly the satellite does not go into an elliptical orbit, as without the moon it's just going to go to a maximum distance, then come back in a straight line. By this analogy, the satellite is just going to be at rest at rmax. Thus the relative velocity is going to be simply the velocity of the moon.

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opinions on the last 3 parts, anyone?
 
bumpp
 
bumppp
 
bumppy
 
anyone?
 

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