acceleration

Calculating the Acceleration of Spacecraft Orbiting Earth

Since 1957 when the first artificial satellite was launched, thousands of spacecraft have orbited Earth. While some are placed into polar orbits for communications or weather purposes, others such as communications satellites orbit in geostationary orbits for longer-term performance. Like throwing a ball into the air creates an unpredictable path towards its landing point, spacecraft […]

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The Hardest Part of Space Travel is Staying in Orbit

SpaceX owns over one-third of all satellites currently orbiting. Elon Musk’s International Space Station and weather forecasting satellites share low Earth orbit (LEO). Spacecraft that need to stay in orbit require significant horizontal velocity; how do we achieve that goal? Orbital Period The orbital period measures the time required for an object to complete one

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