If the satellite is moving too quickly then
the gravitational attraction between the Earth and the satellite is too weak to keep it in orbit
. If this is the case, the satellite will move off into space. This occurs at speeds around or above 11,200 metres per second (m/s).
How does speed affect an orbit?
For objects that are in orbit,
the closer they are to the object they are orbiting
, the faster they will travel around it. This applies to any object orbiting another—Earth orbiting the sun, the moon orbiting Earth, or a spaceship orbiting a planet.
What if the orbital velocity of a satellite is too fast?
Without gravity, the
satellite’s
inertia would carry it off into space. Even with gravity,
if
the intended
satellite
goes
too fast
, it will eventually fly away. … To maintain an
orbit
that is 22,223 miles (35,786 kilometers) above Earth, the
satellite
must
orbit
at a
speed
of about 7,000 mph (11,300 kph).
Why do satellites need to fast to stay in orbit?
When a satellite is in orbit, it has
a perfect balance between its momentum and Earth’s gravity
. But finding this balance is sort of tricky. Gravity is stronger the closer you are to Earth. And satellites that orbit close to Earth must travel at very high speeds to stay in orbit.
What would happen to a satellite if its orbit speed doubled?
No change will happen, as gravitational force will become half as well, so acceleration (=force/mass) will remain same. … Then, if
momentum is conserved
(speed will be doubled just after mass is halved), the satellite will fly away in a parabolic orbit.
What is Kepler’s third law formula?
Kepler’s third law states that the square of the period is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of the orbit. … Equation 13.8 gives us the period of a circular orbit of radius r about Earth:
T = 2 π r 3 G M E . T = 2 π r 3 G M E .
How will you find out the speed of the satellite?
The orbital speed can be found using
v = SQRT(G*M/R)
. The R value (radius of orbit) is the earth’s radius plus the height above the earth – in this case, 6.59 x 10
6
m. Substituting and solving yields a speed of 7780 m/s.
How do you move a satellite to a higher orbit?
If we want to move a spacecraft to a higher orbit, we have to
increase the semimajor axis (adding energy to the orbit) by increasing velocity
. On the other hand, to move the spacecraft to a lower orbit, we decrease the semimajor axis (and the energy) by decreasing the velocity.
Do objects accelerate in orbit?
An object moving in a circular orbit at a constant speed has a changing velocity. This is because velocity is a vector quantity that depends on speed and direction. The object in
orbit is accelerating
, even though its speed remains constant, because its velocity is changing.
What speed is needed for orbit?
A spacecraft leaving the surface of Earth, for example, needs to be going about 11 kilometers (7 miles) per second, or
over 40,000 kilometers per hour (25,000 miles per hour)
, to enter orbit. Achieving escape velocity is one of the biggest challenges facing space travel.
How many dead satellites are in space?
There are
more than 3,000 dead satellites
and rocket stages currently floating in space, and up to 900,000 pieces of space junk ranging from 1 to 10 centimetres in size — all large enough to be a collision hazard and a potential cause for disruption to live missions.
What force keeps a satellite in orbit?
Gravity provides the
force
needed to maintain stable
orbit
of planets around a star and also of moons and artificial
satellites
around a planet.
What two factors keep all satellites in orbit?
So really, a satellites ability to maintain its orbit comes down to a balance between two factors:
its velocity (or the speed at which it would travel in a straight line), and the gravitational pull between the satellite and the planet it orbits
.
How would the orbit of a satellite change if its mass increases?
The mass of the satellite is not part of the expression 4⋅π2⋅r3GM . Therefore we can conclude that mass of the satellite does not affect orbital speed. … The mass of that body is the M in the expression 4⋅π2⋅r3GM . Therefore if M increases,
the value of T will decrease
indicating that the speed has increased.
What happens if a satellite slows down?
If the satellite slows down it would
crash into the object it is orbiting
. If the satellite speeds up, it may spin off into space. The satellite could be knocked or moved closer or farther from the object it is orbiting.
Can a pendulum vibrate in an artificial satellite?
No a pendulum doesn’t vibrate in an artificial satellite
as there is no gravity.
