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Homework 3

This document outlines homework problems for an astronautics course. The homework involves calculating orbital elements, designing a geostationary orbit, determining if an object is a satellite, missile or solar probe based on its orbital parameters, and calculating orbital velocities and times. Students are asked to show their work and submit problems 1, 2, and 3.

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27 views2 pages

Homework 3

This document outlines homework problems for an astronautics course. The homework involves calculating orbital elements, designing a geostationary orbit, determining if an object is a satellite, missile or solar probe based on its orbital parameters, and calculating orbital velocities and times. Students are asked to show their work and submit problems 1, 2, and 3.

Uploaded by

Susie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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MAE 146 - W21 Astronautics M.

Maggia

Homework #3

Due: Saturday, January 30, 2020 at 11:59 pm


(upload 1 PDF file on Canvas)
Show all your calculations and comment in detail on how you are solving the problems.
Please write clearly and use colors if necessary!

Turn in P1, P2, and P3

Problem 1 [30 points]


An unmanned satellite orbits the earth with a perigee radius of 10,000 km and an apogee
radius of 100,000 km (perigee=periapsis and apogee=apoapsis when the primary is the
Earth). Calculate:

(a) the eccentricity of the orbit,


(b) the semimajor axis of the orbit,
(c) the period of the orbit,
(d) the specific energy of the orbit,
(e) the true anomalies at which the altitude is 20,000 km,
(f) the radial and perpendicular speeds at the points found in part (e),
(g) the speed at perigee and apogee.

Problem 2 [20 points]


You work for a satellite company and want to design an equatorial circular orbit for a
satellite that will remain directly above a particular equatorial location, i.e., a
geostationary orbit. Use the two-body result for the orbital period Eq. (2.83) to
determine the appropriate altitude for the satellite.

MAE 146 – Winter 2021 1


Problem 3 [30 points]
An early warning defense system detects an object with v = 9 km/s, r = 7500 km and g
= 25 deg. Determine whether this is an intercontinental ballistic missile, an Earth
satellite, or a solar probe.

Problem 4 [--]
For a space shuttle in a 300 km altitude circular orbit, calculate the orbital speed. What
is
the velocity D v required to attain escape speed, i.e., to insert the shuttle on a parabolic
orbit?

Problem 5 [--]
Using Matlab, plot the flight path angle g as a function of the true anomaly q for the
following values of the eccentricity e = 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 3. Comment on the results.

Problem 6 [--]
A spacecraft is in a 400-km by 600-km LEO (Low-Earth Orbit). How long (in minutes)
does it take to coast from the perigee to the apogee?

MAE 146 – Winter 2021 2

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