The geostationary satellite.

1. What is the specific mechanical energy, ε, of an orbit with a semimajor axis of 10,000 km?
   Compare this to the ε of a geostationary satellite. Which has the most ε?
2. A spacecraft has these orbital elements:
   Semimajor axis = 5740 km
   Eccentricity = .1
   Inclination = 53°
   RAAN = 345°
   Argument of perigee = 270°
   True anomaly = 183°
   What is peculiar about this orbit?
3. Suppose NASA wants to send a newly repaired spacecraft from its circular orbit at 150 km
   altitude (28 degree inclination) to a circular orbit at 20,000 km altitude (inclination of 45
   degrees).
   a) What is the energy of the transfer orbit?
   b) What is the is the velocity change needed to go from the initial circular orbit to the
   transfer orbit?
   c) What is the combined plane change delta V to go from the transfer orbit to the final
   circular orbit and change the inclination?
4. Describe the potential harmful effect on spacecraft from charged particles. Then, research
   and describe a real-world example of a satellite failure due to a one or more of these effects.
5. Your company has been awarded a contract to develop a sensor that will detect a Russian
   SU-30 afterburner. Assume you need a resolution of 2m and your target temperature is 1000K.
   Recommend min and max altitudes for this mission using an IR telescope.

Sample Solution