Why does a satellite in a circular orbit travel at a constant speed? There is no component of force acting along the direction of motion of the satellite . ... The gravitational force acting on the satellite is balanced by the centrifugal force acting on the satellite.
Why does the speed of a satellite in circular orbit not change?
6. The speed of a satellite in circular orbit around a planet does not depend on the mass of the satellite . ... The mass of the planet is what creates this gravitational field, and it doesn’t cancel out. The mass of the satellite does cancel out because it shows up both in the gravitational force and in the inertia (ma).
Do satellites orbit at a constant speed?
An energy analysis of satellite motion yields the same conclusions as any analysis guided by Newton’s laws of motion. A satellite orbiting in circular motion maintains a constant radius of orbit and therefore a constant speed and a constant height above the earth.
What happens if a satellite moves above the earth’s atmosphere in a circular orbit with constant speed?
it will fall back to Earth when its fuel is used up .
What determines the speed of a satellite in orbit?
The orbital velocity of the satellite depends on its altitude above Earth . The nearer to Earth, the faster the required orbital velocity. At an altitude of 124 miles (200 kilometers), the required orbital velocity is a little more than 17,000 mph (about 27,400 kph).
What is Kepler’s third law formula?
If the size of the orbit (a) is expressed in astronomical units (1 AU equals the average distance between the Earth and Sun) and the period (P) is measured in years, then Kepler’s Third Law says P2 = a3.
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.
What force keeps a satellite in orbit?
Gravity –combined with the satellite’s momentum from its launch into space–cause the satellite go into orbit above Earth, instead of falling back down to the ground.
Why is a satellite continuously accelerating?
The satellite is orbiting with constant speed. The satellite’s velocity is always changing. The satellite is accelerating, because there is a net force acting on it . The force of gravity on the satellite is the centripetal force.
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. ... The satellite could dip into the atmosphere of a planet and be slowed by that.
How high are geosynchronous satellites?
A geosynchronous orbit is a high Earth orbit that allows satellites to match Earth’s rotation. Located at 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above Earth’s equator , this position is a valuable spot for monitoring weather, communications and surveillance.
What remains constant in uniform circular motion?
In a uniform circular motion, the direction of velocity is along a tangent drawn to the position of the particle on the circumference of a circle. ... Hence speed remains constant in a uniform circular motion.
Does the mass of a satellite affect its orbit?
Assuming we are talking about the mass of the satellite (and not the mass of the body being orbited), mass does not affect the orbital speed .
What’s the fastest man made object?
- Fastest human-made object: 244,255 mph (393,044 km/h).
- Closest spacecraft to the sun: 11.6 million miles (18.6 million kilometers).
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 fast do Starlink satellites travel?
Ultimately, Starlink is expected to deliver speeds up to about one gigabit per second with no caps. That’s more than enough for even data-hungry households. But that same low orbital position is also one of the main reasons why Starlink satellites shine so bright in our night sky: They’re close to us.
