AGI’s Introduction to the Physics of Orbits

Physical Properties of an Orbit

Two types of energy are involved in an orbit:
• Potential energy
• Kinetic energy
We will use energy relationships to determine how
to transfer a satellite into a new orbit.
 Got Energy?
Potential energy is energy that is stored within a system
due to the position of the system.
Potential energy has potential to convert into other energy
forms.
Kinetic energy is energy of motion.
Both forms of energy are important to satellite orbits.
Gravitational pull of Earth provides potential energy.
Satellite movement has kinetic energy.
 Gravitational Potential Energy (U)
− 𝐺𝑀𝑚
Stored Energy: 𝑈 = 𝑅
𝑈=𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑃𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦

𝑀=𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 ( 𝑘𝑔 )

𝑚=𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑓 𝑂𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 ( 𝑘𝑔 )
 Gravitational Potential Energy (U)
A shuttle with a mass of 103,000 kg is flying 370
km above Earth’s surface. How much potential
energy does it have?
MEarth= 5.98x1024 kg
Radius of Earth= 6.378x103 km
GM m
U =−
R

( )
3
m ( kg ) (10 3 , 000 kg )
− 11 24
6.67 × 10 2
5.98 ×10
kg ∙ s
U =−
( 6.378 x 106 + 3.7 ×10 5 m )
12
𝐸=−6 .1 ×10 𝐽
 Kinetic Energy
Energy of Motion 𝐾 =𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
𝑚=𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠
1
𝐾= 𝑚𝑣
2 𝑣 =𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
2

A satellite is traveling 6 km/s and has a

mass of 5,000 kg. What amount of kinetic
energy does it have?

( )
2
1( 3 𝑚
)
𝐾 = 5 ,000 𝑘𝑔 6 × 10
2 𝑠

10
𝐾 = 9× 10 𝐽
 Total Energy of an Orbit
Combine the potential In circular orbits, the force of gravity
and kinetic energies. between a planet and the Sun is:
E U  K GMm
F
R2
 GMm 1 Potential Energy = Force Elevation
E  mv 2
R 2
Gravity Force = Centripetal Force
 GMm GMm mv 2 GMm
E   mv  2
2R R 2
R R
 GMm 1  GMm 1  GMm 
E  mv 
2
  
Where’d that R 2 R 2  R 
come from?!
 1
R
 
GMm 1 GMm

2 R

 1 1
2

GMm  GMm
R

2R
 Changing Orbit Altitudes
How much energy is needed
to travel from one orbit to another?

A news station wants to move a

12,000kg weather satellite from 650 km
an orbit 650km above the
surface of the Earth to an orbit
800km above Earth’s surface. 800 km
Earth
How much energy will this
procedure require?
 Changing Orbit Altitudes
𝐆𝐌𝐦
𝐄 =𝐔 + 𝐊 =−
𝟐𝐑

𝐄 𝟏=−
( 𝟔 . 𝟔𝟕 ×𝟏𝟎
−𝟏𝟏 𝐦𝟑 (
𝐤𝐠 ∙ 𝐬 )
𝟐
𝟓. 𝟗𝟖 ×𝟏𝟎
𝟐𝟒
𝐤𝐠 ) ( 𝟏 𝟐 , 𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐤𝐠 )

𝟐 ( 𝟔 . 𝟑𝟕𝟖 ×𝟏𝟎 𝐦 +𝟔 . 𝟓× 𝟏𝟎 𝐦 )
𝟔 𝟓

𝐄 𝟏=−𝟑 . 𝟒𝟏 ×𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟏 𝑱

𝐄 𝟐=−
( 𝟔 . 𝟔𝟕 ×𝟏𝟎
−𝟏𝟏 𝐦𝟑 (
𝐤𝐠 ∙ 𝐬 )
𝟐
𝟓. 𝟗𝟖 ×𝟏𝟎
𝟐𝟒
𝐤𝐠 ) ( 𝟏 𝟐 , 𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐤𝐠 )

𝟐 ( 𝟔 . 𝟑𝟕𝟖 ×𝟏𝟎 𝐦 +𝟖 . 𝟎× 𝟏𝟎 𝐦 )
𝟔 𝟓

𝐄 𝟐=−𝟑 . 𝟑𝟑 ×𝟏𝟎𝟏𝟏 𝑱
𝑬 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒓𝒃𝒊𝒕 = 𝐄𝟐 − 𝐄𝟏
𝑬 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒓𝒃𝒊𝒕 =−𝟑 .𝟑𝟑 × 𝟏𝟎𝟏𝟏 𝐉 − ( − 𝟑 .𝟒𝟏 × 𝟏𝟎𝟏𝟏 𝐉 )
𝑬 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒓𝒃𝒊𝒕 =+𝟖 ×𝟏𝟎𝟗 𝐉 The positive sign signifies that
energy must be added to the system
to change orbits.
 Review
You learned some of the basic physical properties
involved in transferring orbits:
1. Potential energy and kinetic energy are two main
orbital energies.
2. Combine both to find total energy of orbit.
3. With both orbit energies, subtract to determine
energy to transfer between orbits.