Space Flight Mechanics

Assignment Week 1
TYPE OF QUESTION: MCQ/MSQ

Number of questions: 10 Total marks: 10 x 1 = 10

Question 1
A satellite is moving in an elliptic orbit with apogee at an altitude of 60000 km.
The eccentricity of the orbit is e = 0.6. Let the radius of the Earth be 6400 km.
The semi minor axis is
a) 38600 km
b) 33200 km
c) 25000 km
d) 45400 km
correct answer: b

Question 2
Referring to Question 1, the value of the semilatus rectum will be
a) 30240 km
b) 22140 km
c) 26560 km
d) 20170 km
correct answer: c

1
Question 3
In a hyperbolic orbit of eccentricity 1.2 the true anomaly is 45◦ and semi major
axis is 30000 km. The distance of the satellite from the occupied focus is
a) 9148.36 km
b) 5521.2 km
c) 7140.82 km

d) 4589.53 km
correct answer: c

Question 4
A satellite is moving in an elliptic orbit with semi major axis of 15000 km. The
eccentricity of the orbit is e = 0.5. Let the radius of the Earth be 6400 km. The
apogee of the satellite is

a) 22500 km
b) 10600 km
c) 13000 km
d) 25300 km

correct answer: a

Question 5
Referring to Question 4, the satellite’s altitude at perigee is
a) 7500 km
b) 1300 km
c) 2400 km

d) 1100 km
correct answer: d

2
Question 6
A satellite is moving in a hyperbolic orbit with semilatus rectum of 13000 km.
The eccentricity of the orbit is e = 1.5. The magnitude of the semi major axis
will be
a) 15300 km
b) 10400 km

c) 5250 km
d) 20700 km
correct answer: b

Question 7
Referring to Question 6, the perigee of the given orbit is
a) 5200 km

b) 7800 km
c) 11250 km
d) 3480 km
correct answer: a

Question 8
A satellite is moving in an elliptic orbit with perigee at an altitude of 800 km.
The eccentricity of the orbit is e = 0.4. Let the radius of the Earth be 6400 km.
The apogee of the orbit is
a) 30500 km
b) 20300 km

c) 16800 km
d) 25200 km
correct answer: c

3
Question 9
Referring to Question 8, the value of the semi major axis is

a) 9500 km
b) 20000 km
c) 17000 km

d) 12000 km
correct answer: d

Question 10
In an elliptic orbit of eccentricity 0.7 the true anomaly is 60◦ and the semilatus
rectum is 13000 km. The distance of the satellite from the occupied focus is
a) 11478.87 km
b) 7459.55 km

c) 9629.63 km
d) 50123.82 km
correct answer: c