Mars has mass 6.4×1023kg and radius 3.4×106m.
(a) Calculate the escape velocity from the surface of Mars. Take G=6.67×10−11Nm2kg−2.
(b) A spacecraft of mass 2000kg is launched vertically from the Martian surface with an initial speed of 5.0kms−1. Determine, with supporting calculation of the mechanical energy per unit mass at launch, whether the spacecraft will escape Mars’ gravitational influence.