PHYS 001D Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Geostationary Orbit, Stephen Hawking, Moe Williams
12 May 2020
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Study of the bigger picture of the universe (stephen hawking) Discovered first exoplanet orbiting a sunlike star. Space junk > dead satellites > operating satellites > natural satellites (only one, the moon) In order of number of objects in orbit around the earth. An equatorial orbit with an orbital period of 24 hours. Rearrange the orbital velocity equation to find the specific height for a geostationary orbit. Because if the tower is fixed to the surface of the earth, then it is spinning at the same rate as earth (it has the same horizontal velocity as the earth) If it"s at the right height, once you release that object, it should match orbits. Less kinetic and potential energy than a rocket. The kinetic energy is less because the earth is supplying the extra kinetic energy instead of it all coming from, say, a rocket"s fuel. Rockets have to carry their fuel with them.
