A space vehicle is launched from Earth with exactly the local escape speed. Before leaving the upper atmosphere it loses a small but non-zero amount of kinetic energy to atmospheric drag while its altitude changes negligibly. Which statement best describes the vehicle’s resulting orbit about Earth?
(a) It will just barely escape on a parabolic trajectory, since its total mechanical energy is still zero.
(b) It will settle into a nearly circular orbit at its launch altitude, because the drag has reduced its speed to the local orbital speed.
(c) It will enter a bound elliptical orbit, because the energy loss makes its total mechanical energy negative.
(d) It will spiral inward to Earth’s surface, because the drag removes essentially all of its angular momentum.