A weather satellite of mass 1000kg is to be moved from a low Earth circular orbit of radius 7.0×106m to a higher circular orbit of radius 4.2×107m. Assume that GME=3.986×1014m3s−2.
(a) Determine the total increase in the satellite’s mechanical energy during the transfer.
(b) In practice the on-board propulsion system is only 70% efficient, i.e. only 70% of the chemical energy stored in the propellant is converted into the satellite’s mechanical energy change. Calculate the amount of chemical energy that must be expended for this manoeuvre.
(c) Express the answer of part (b) as an energy per unit mass of the satellite.