Isaac Golf

Kiker, 1st
Algebra II
5-4-15

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The Common Logs Save The Day

It was 12:30 at night as I sipped on my glass of tea looking over my math textbook when
I got the call. Surprised I hesitated to answer as I knew that my conics test was tomorrow, and i
needed to study. Reluctantly i answered, and heard a quite surprising voice. Hello Isaac this is
the president, said the president. Taken off guard i was slow to say hello back. We need your
help, said the president, we are in dire need of a new satellite to pass by the earth. There are
reports coming in of a massive surge of incorrect math vocabulary. People everywhere are saying
cancel out instead of divide out. Some have even said plug in instead of substitute. Its
absolute madness and we need your use of hyperbolic orbits to help us get a satellite in space
disguised as a comet to monitor the outbreak. Although i was a somewhat below average high
school math student i understood that the president needed me and i had to help. I immediately
threw on my Common Logs t-shirt and got to work.
To begin i signaled the Common Log team through the rooftop sky-light, similar to the
way Batman is called. We all gathered at my house and headed to Michaels to purchase our
model for the satellite/comet. We used a 5 diameter styrofoam ball and acrylic paint to model
the earth. We understood that the satellite needed to be quite large and used a 1 diameter ball to
model the satellite disguised as a comet, even using paint to make it look like a flying comet. The
use of styrofoam was perfect because it was lightweight, inexpensive, and was already in the
shape of a perfect sphere. The painting was the hardest because the paint we used didn't stay on
the model like we originally hoped. It would often dry and chip but we solved the problem using
layers. we would add a layer and let it dry knowing some would eventually chip of. Then we

Isaac Golf
Kiker, 1st
Algebra II
5-4-15

would add another layer and repeat the process until we had an even coat that looked good.
Using a coat hanger we suspend the two masses up and correct positioned the comet. Originally
we tried a copper wire bent to circle around the two masses with a small hook on top to suspend
it from a string, or any viable surface. However this proved to be too bendable and became misshaped almost immediately. We decided with the coat hanger as it could easily be hung from the
ceiling and was far more sturdy. The positioning of the of the earth and the comet took longer
than expected but was the easiest and most sound. In the end the structure was we'll supported
and the comet was strategically placed in the path of a hyperbolic orbit. Overall we were all
pleased, including the president, and felt that our final project well supported our conic and
looked good.
Hyperbolic trajectory is a trajectory used in astrodynamics that is commonly referred to
as planetary fly by. It can be used to launch a mass into deep space using gravitational pull as a
slingshot. The mass in a hyperbolic trajectory will swing by a planet along a cure, similar to our
satellite, and then fly off escaping the gravitational pull. The masses orbital eccentricity must be
greater than one, as to not get sucked into orbit of the larger object. The Newtonian theory was
the first to study the use of hyperbolas in nature. Newtons cannonball theory was a major step in
understanding hyperbolic trajectories. Newton theorized that if you shot a cannonball fast
enough sideways the orbital eccentricity could exceed 1 and fly off into deep space using the
earths gravitational pull to slingshot it. NASAs MESSENGER space
craft was one of the earlier and most successful uses of a planetary
flyby making seven total uses of the trajectory going past Earth,
Venus, and Mercury. The idea was first proposed for real use by

Isaac Golf
Kiker, 1st
Algebra II
5-4-15

Michael Minovitch in 1961 for the Mariner 10, which made two flybys. Minovitch was inspired
from an essay written by Yuri Kondratyuk, a soviet engineer, suggesting the use of planets
gravity to change the direction of a space craft. However it was Minovitch who brought the idea
to reality and furthered the though by strategically placing the mass in question to allow for
almost complete use of gravitationally gained velocity and as little use of actual fuel as possible.
Further mathematicians and engineers have added and modified the theories into what is today a
well known and well studied field of astrodynamics. Today this field of study can be used to see
of far stretching comets pose a threat to our planet or get various satellites of spacecraft into orbit
to planets like Mercury, Venus, or Mars. It allows for almost pinpoint aim of where such mass
should be and allows for as little use of fuel as possible. This saves money and weight, a very
valuable asset when working with trillion dollars worth of technology that no one want to just
crash and be destroyed.
However despite all of this technological and mathematical advances the president still
needs us to find out how fast our satellite will go. If the velocity is going too fast then it wont be
able to monitor the use of incorrect math vocabulary, and if it is going to slow then it will fall
into orbit, when the president only wants a flyby. The president is adamant that is must not be
any faster than 10*10^12 m/s, but can't be slower than 10*10^8 m/s. To find velocity you must
take the square root of the standard gravitational parameter times two over the radial distance
form the gravitational body minus one over the negative semi-major axis, or this > . To find
the standard gravitational parameter you simply multiply the gravitational constant with the mass
of the celestial body.

The standard gravitational parameter of the Earth is

modeled by (5.972*10^24 kg)*(9.8 m/s)=5.853*10^25 kgm/s. Then to find the radial distance

Isaac Golf
Kiker, 1st
Algebra II
5-4-15

the president confirms that our satellite should be between 180 and 200 miles from sea level of
earth. Through logic we can suspect that the closer the flyby is the more velocity the will be,
because as r increases in the equation so will the velocity. A good starting point would be in the
middle at 190 miles form sea level. Lastly we must find the negative semi-major axis to
complete the equation. The semi-major axis is really just the distance between the center to the
turing point, or the vertex. The distance from the curve to the celestial body is the same as the
radial distance in this scenario, meaning that our a value is -190. Our final equation is v=the
square root of 5.853*10^25 multiplied by (2/190-1/-190) which equals 9.613*10^11 m/s. This is
within the presidents range of values for the speed and should be perfect to monitor the use of
incorrect vocabulary.
With the president pleased and out satellite model made within our speed range the plan
was a go. We met with the president to talk over the plan and begin the final stages. The satellite
launching will be televised on payperview for 100$ this friday at 9:00pm. Hopefully the launch
will successfully monitor and help this plague of incorrect vocabulary.

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Works Cited
LeBlanc, Nicholas. "Astronomy 101 Specials: Newton's Cannonball and the Speed of Orbiting Objects."
Astronomy 101 Specials: Newton's Cannonball and the Speed of Orbiting Objects. Bucknell, n.d. Web. 05
May 2015.

!NA. "Yuri Kondratyuk." Yuri Kondratyuk. AQUA, n.d. Web. 05 May 2015.
!NA. "Voyager - Planetary Voyage." Voyager - Planetary Voyage. USA.gov, 17 Feb. 2014. Web. 05 May
2015.