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In 2014, the European Space Agency placed a satellite in orbit around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and then landed a probe on the surface. The actual orbit was elliptical, but we’ll approximate it as a 50-km-diameter circular orbit with a period of 11 days.
a. What was the satellite’s orbital speed around the comet? (Both the comet and the satellite are orbiting the sun at a much higher speed.)

b. What is the mass of the comet?
c. The lander was pushed from the satellite, toward the comet, at a speed of 70 cm/s, and it then fell—taking about 7 hours—to the surface. What was its landing speed? The comet’s shape is
irregular, but on average it has a diameter of 3.6 km.

Short Answer

Expert verified

a) The satellite's orbital speed a is 0.16 m/s.

b) The mass of the comet is 1.02 x 1013 kg.

c) Satellite's landing speed is 0.84 m/s

Step by step solution

01

Part(a) Step1: Given information

r= radius of the orbit =25 x 103m
T = time period = 11 days =(11)x(24)x(60)x(60) s =950400 s

02

Part(a) Step2: Solution

Velocity can be calculated by using the formula

v=2×π×rT..............................(1)

Substituting all the values in eqation(1), we get

v=2×3.14×25×103950400v=0.16ms-1

Velocity is 0.16 m/s

03

Part(b) Step1: Given information

r= radius of the orbit =25 x 103m
T = time period = 11 days =(11)x(24)x(60)x(60) s =950400 s

04

Part(b) Step2: Explanation

For the satellite revolution in stable condition,

The centripetal force of satellite = Gravitational force between satellite and the comet

mv2r=GMmr2...................................(1)
Where

M= mass of the comet
m= mass of the satellite
r= radius of the orbit
G= universal gravitational constant.

Simplify equation(1)

From equation (2) and (3) find the value of M

⇒M=v2rG................................(2)And,v=2×π×rT.............................(3)

Now substitute values and calculate

M=22×(3.14)2×25×103m3(950400s)2×6.647×10-11m3kg-1s-2M=1.02×1013kg

Mass is 1.02 x 1013 kg

05

Part(c) Step 1: Given information

R = radius of the comet = 1.8 x 103 m
r= radius of the orbit = 25 x 103m
t= time taken =7hr = (7 x (60)(60) s =25200 s
vi= initial speed of the satellite =70 cm/s =0.7 m/s.

06

Part(c) Step2: Solution

From the basic kinematics we know


vl=vi+GM(r+R)2t.........................(5)

Initial velocity =vi
Final velocity =vl
Acceleration a=GM(r+R)2
Time taken= t
Substituting values in v=u+a t, we get

⇒vl=(0.7m/s)+(6.647×10-11m3kg-1s-2)×(1.02×1013kg)×(25200s)25×103m+1.8×103m2⇒vl=0.84ms-1

Landing velocity is 0.84m/s

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