Design
| Enviro
| Astro | Propulsion
| Power | Thermal
| Structures | AD&C
| CDHS |
Test
These
physical laws are the foundation
to understanding the motion
of satellites
and planets.
Physical
Laws
Law
of conservation of energy
states
that in a conservative field total mechanical
energy is constant. Total mechanical energy is
the sum of potential and kinetic energy of an
object.
1.
A body remains at rest or in motion with constant
velocity unless acted on by a force.
2.
The time rate of change of a body's momentum equals
the net applied force. Momentum is the product of
body mass and velocity.
3.
For every action there is an equal and opposite
reaction.
Law
of conservation of momentum,
an
implication of Newton's Third Law, states that
the momentum of a system is always conserved.
If the applied net force is zero, then linear
momentum is conserved; if the torque is zero,
then angular momentum is conserved.
Kepler's
Laws
1.
The orbit of a planet is the shape of an ellipse
with the Sun at one of the two foci.
2.
The line from a planet to the Sun sweeps out equal
areas in equal times.
3.
The square of an orbit's period is proportional
to the cube of its semimajor axis.
