In: Physics
NASA has asked your team of rocket scientist about the feasibiltiy
of a new satellite launcher...
NASA has asked your team of rocket scientist about the feasibiltiy
of a new satellite launcher that will save rocket fuel. NASA's idea
is basically an electric slingshot that consists of 4 electrodes
arranged in a horizontal square with sides of length 5.0 m at a
height 15.0 m above the ground. The satellite is
then placed on the ground aligned with the center of the square. A
power supply will provide each of the four electrodes with a charge
+Q/4 and the satellite with a charge -Q. When the satellite is
released from rest, it moves up and passes through the center of
the square. At the instant it reaches the square's center, the
power supply is turned off and the electrodes are grounded, giving
them a zero electric charge. To test this idea, you decide to use
energy considerations to calculate how big Q will have to be to get
a 165 kg satellite to an orbit 250 km above the Earth's
surface.