Edition

Seventh
Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Dynamics

Applications to Space Mechanics

ES 5: Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

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Edition
Seventh
Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Dynamics
Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion

• Results obtained for trajectories of planets around the sun may also be
applied to trajectories of satellites around earth.

• Properties of planetary orbits around the sun were determined

astronomical observations by Johann Kepler (1571-1630) before
Newton had developed his fundamental theory.
1) Each planet describes an ellipse, with the sun located at one of its
foci.
2) The radius vector drawn from the sun to a planet sweeps equal
areas in equal times.
3) The squares of the periodic times of the planets are proportional to
the cubes of the semimajor axes of their orbits.

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Edition
Seventh
Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Dynamics
Application to Space Mechanics
• Consider earth satellites subjected to only gravitational pull
of the earth,
d 2u F 1 GMm
u  where u  F  GMmu 2
d 2 mh 2u 2 r r2
d 2u GM
u   constant
d 2
h 2

• Solution is equation of conic section,

1 GM Ch2
u   2 1   cos    eccentricity
r h GM

• Origin, located at earth’s center, is a focus of the conic section.

• Trajectory may be ellipse, parabola, or hyperbola depending

on value of eccentricity.

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Edition
Seventh
Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Dynamics
Application to Space Mechanics
• Trajectory of earth satellite is defined by
1 GM Ch2
 2 1   cos    eccentricity
r h GM

• hyperbola,  > 1 or C > GM/h2. The radius vector

becomes infinite for
1  1  1  GM 
1   cos1  0 1   cos      cos 
   C h2 
 
• parabola,  = 1 or C = GM/h2. The radius vector
becomes infinite for
1  cos  2  0  2  180

• ellipse,  < 1 or C < GM/h2. The radius vector is finite

for  and is constant, i.e., a circle, for  < 0.

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Edition
Seventh
Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Dynamics
Application to Space Mechanics
• Integration constant C is determined by conditions
at beginning of free flight,  =0, r = r0 ,
1 GM  Ch 2 
 2 1 cos 0 
r0 h  GM 

1 GM 1 GM
C  2  
r0 h r0 r0 v0 2

• Satellite escapes earth orbit for

  1 or C  GM h 2  GM r0 v0 2
2GM
vesc  v0 
r0

• Trajectory is elliptic for v0 < vesc and becomes

circular for  = 0 or C = 0,
GM
vcirc 
r0
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Edition
Seventh
Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Dynamics
Application to Space Mechanics
• Recall that for a particle moving under a central
force, the areal velocity is constant, i.e.,
dA 1 2  1
 2 r   2 h  constant
dt
• Periodic time or time required for a satellite to
complete an orbit is equal to area within the orbit
divided by areal velocity,
 ab 2 ab
 
h2 h

where a  12 r0  r1 
b  r0 r1

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Edition
Seventh
Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Dynamics
Sample Problem 12.9
SOLUTION:
• Trajectory of the satellite is described by
1 GM
 2  C cos
r h
Evaluate C using the initial conditions
at  = 0.
A satellite is launched in a direction
• Determine the maximum altitude by
parallel to the surface of the earth
finding r at  = 180o.
with a velocity of 36,900 km/h at an
altitude of 500 km. • With the altitudes at the perigee and
apogee known, the periodic time can
Determine:
be evaluated.
a) the maximum altitude reached by
the satellite, and
b) the periodic time of the satellite.

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Edition
Seventh
Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Dynamics
Sample Problem 12.9
SOLUTION:
• Trajectory of the satellite is described by
1 GM
 2  C cos
r h
Evaluate C using the initial conditions
at  = 0.
r0  6370  500 km 1 GM
C  2
r0 h
 6.87  106 m
km 1000 m/km 1 398  1012 m3 s 2
v 0  36900   
h 3600 s/h 6.87  10 m
6
70.4 m s
2 2

 10.25  103 m s  65.3  109 m -1

 
h  r0v0  6.87  106 m 10.25  103 m s 
 70.4  109 m 2 s

 
GM  gR 2  9.81m s 2 6.37  106 m 2
 398  1012 m3 s 2
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Edition
Seventh
Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Dynamics
Sample Problem 12.9
• Determine the maximum altitude by finding r1
at  = 180o.
1 GM 398  1012 m3 s 2 9 1
 2 C   
 
65.3 10
r1 h 2 2 m
70.4 m s
r1  66.7  106 m  66700 km
max altitude  66700 - 6370km  60300 km

• With the altitudes at the perigee and apogee known,

the periodic time can be evaluated.
a  12 r0  r1   12 6.87  66.7   106 m  36.8  106 m
b  r0 r1  6.87  66.7  106 m  21.4  106 m


 
2 ab 2 36.8  106 m 21.4  106 m


h 70.4  109 m 2 s

  70.3  103 s  19 h 31min

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Edition
Seventh
Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Dynamics
Sample Problem 12.9

A satellite is launched 600 km from the surface of the earth, with an initial
velocity of 30 Mm/h acting parallel to the tangent of the surface of the earth.
Assuming that the radius of the earth is 6378 km and its mass is 5.976(10)24
kg, determine (a) the eccentricity of the orbital path, and (b) the velocity of the
satellite at apogee.

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Edition
Seventh
Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Dynamics

Calculate the radius of orbit

(in SI units) for a earth satellite in a
geosynchronous orbit, where the
earth's rotational period is
86,164 seconds.

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Edition
Seventh
Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Dynamics

Calculate the escape velocity of the moon if Mass is

7.35 ×× 1022 Kg and radius is 1.7 ×× 106 m.

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