Re: [Phys-l] Rocket Science

["R. McDermott" <rmcder@gmail.com>]

Well, they sure as heck aren't going to rendezvous!  I'll be interested in 
seeing an actual numerical answer to this question given that spacecraft #2 
is going to move to a higher orbit, slowing down as it does so, but I don't 
think we have an easy way of determining what happens during that maneuver 
without more detail.  Spacecraft #2 will also now be in some kind of 
elliptical orbit, farther "back", as well as "higher".

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Denker" <jsd@av8n.com>
To: "Forum for Physics Educators" <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 5:50 PM
Subject: [Phys-l] Rocket Science


> Hi --
>
> A classic question:
>
> Here's the scenario:  Spacecraft #1 is launched into a nice, circular,
> low-earth orbit.  Shortly thereafter, spacecraft #2 is launched into
> the _same_ orbit.  At this point in the story, spacecraft #2 is keeping
> pace with #1, and is simply 90 km in trail.
>
> The flight plan calls for the two craft to rendezvous.  At time t,
> spacecraft #2 fires its thruster, thereby giving itself a delta v
> of 60 km/h, directed toward spacecraft #1 in the obvious way.
>
> Here's the question:  Within a km or so, how far apart are the
> spacecraft at time t + 90 minutes?
>
>
>
> Vis vobiscum.
>
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