Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Astrodynamics is the term used to describe the application of Newtonian mechanics to human-made objects in space, such as rockets and spacecraft. It is a subfield of celestial mechanics and ballistics .
{{Astrodynamics |expanded=listname}} or, if enabled, {{Astrodynamics |listname}} …where listname is one of the following (do not include any quotemarks): Orbital elements, Types of two-body orbits by eccentricity, Equations, Gravitational influences, N-body orbits, Preflight engineering, Efficiency measures
Orbital mechanics or astrodynamics is the application of ballistics and celestial mechanics to the practical concerning the motion of rockets, satellites, and other spacecraft. The motion of these objects is usually calculated from Newton's laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation .
In this diagram, the orbital plane (yellow) intersects a reference plane (gray). For Earth-orbiting satellites, the reference plane is usually the Earth's equatorial plane, and for satellites in solar orbits it is the ecliptic plane.
Language links are at the top of the page across from the title.
In astrodynamics, the vis-viva equation is one of the equations that model the motion of orbiting bodies.It is the direct result of the principle of conservation of mechanical energy which applies when the only force acting on an object is its own weight which is the gravitational force determined by the product of the mass of the object and the strength of the surrounding gravitational field.
In astrodynamics, the characteristic energy is a measure of the excess specific energy over that required to just barely escape from a massive body. The units are length 2 time −2, i.e. velocity squared, or energy per mass.
In astrodynamics a gravity assist maneuver, gravitational slingshot or swing-by is the use of the relative movement and gravity of a planet or other celestial body to alter the trajectory of a spacecraft, typically in order to save propellant, time, and expense.