Design
| Enviro |
Astro | Propulsion
| Power | Thermal
| Structures | AD&C
| CDHS |
Test
The
force of gravity exists between any two bodies
and may be mathematically approximated for spacecraft
design simulations.
Gravity
This
is a common mathematical model used in the preliminary
design phase.
Newtonian
gravitational force
is
estimated with the inverse square law, where the
magnitude of the force decreases as the inverse
square of the distance between the two bodies.
A
Legendre polynomial expansion can
further estimate mass distribution about the equatorial
plane and the spin axis to account for a planet's
oblate shape.
