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Space Propulsion - IAP/TU Wien

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<strong>Space</strong> <strong>Propulsion</strong><br />

Example 1: Simple Coplanar Orbit Change<br />

Consider an initially circular low Earth orbit at 300-km altitude. What velocity increase<br />

would be required to produce an elliptical orbit 300 x 3000 km in altitude? What would be the<br />

fuel consumption for a 750 kg (empty) S/C if I sp<br />

= 3100 m/s ?<br />

The gravity parameter of Earth is μ=398,600.4 km 3 /s 2<br />

Radius of Earth is ≈ R = 6387 km<br />

velocity on initial circular orbit:<br />

semimajor axis of final elliptical orbit:<br />

V 398,600.4<br />

= μ =<br />

= 7.726 km s<br />

r (300 + 6378.14)<br />

/<br />

ra<br />

+ rp<br />

a =<br />

2<br />

(300+<br />

6378) + (3000+<br />

6378)<br />

=<br />

= 8028<br />

2<br />

[ km]<br />

velocity at periapsis of final orbit:<br />

velocity change =<br />

V 2μ<br />

μ 2(398,600) 398,600<br />

= − =<br />

− = 8.350 km s<br />

p<br />

r a 6678 8028<br />

/<br />

ΔV = Vp −V<br />

= 8 .350 − 7.726 = 0.624 km / s<br />

fuel consumption<br />

⎡ ⎛ V ⎞ ⎤ ⎧ ⎡ (624) ⎤ ⎫<br />

mp m<br />

f ⎢exp ⎜<br />

Δ<br />

=<br />

⎟ −1⎥<br />

= 750⎨exp<br />

−1⎬<br />

= 167. 2<br />

I<br />

⎢<br />

sp ⎩ (3100)<br />

⎥<br />

⎢<br />

⎣ ⎝ ⎠ ⎥⎦<br />

⎣ ⎦ ⎭<br />

kg<br />

Velocity changes, made at periapsis, change apoapsis radius but not periapsis radius, and vice<br />

versa; the radius at which the velocity is changed remains unchanged. As you would expect, the<br />

plane of the orbit in inertial space does not change as velocity along the orbit is changed. Orbital<br />

changes are a reversible process.

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