Question

On Apollo Moon missions, the lunar module would blast off from the Moon's surface and dock with the command module in lunar orbit. After docking, the lunar module would be jettisoned and allowed to crash back onto the lunar surface. Seismometers placed on the Moon's surface by the astronauts would then pick up the resulting seismic waves.

Find the impact speed of the lunar module, given that it is jettisoned from an orbit 170 km above the lunar surface moving with a speed of 1550 m/s

Thanks!

Answer 1

For vertical plane,

using equation of motion, we have

v_y² = v_0,y² + 2 a_y s                                                      { eq.1 }

where, v₀ = initial vertical velocity = 0 m/s

a_y = acceleration for moon = g / 6 = (9.8 m/s²) / 6

s = distance = 170 km = 170000 m

inserting the values in above eq.

v_y² = (0 m/s)² + [2 (9.8 m/s²) (170000 m) / 6]

v_y² = 555333.3 m²/s²

v_y = 745.2 m/s

The impact speed of the lunar module which will be given as :

using an equation,     v = v_y² + v_x²    { eq.2 }

where, v_x = horizontal velocity = 1550 m/s

inserting the values in eq.2,

v = (745.2 m/s)² + (1550 m/s)²

v = (555323.1 + 2402500) m²/s²

v = 2957823.1 m²/s²

v = 1719.8 m/s