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Launch A "Rocket" From A Spinning "Planet"

Deep Space 1 was launched on October 24, 1998 from Cape Canaveral, Florida atop a Delta rocket to begin its journey. Space engineers consider both the rotational motion of Earth on its axis and its orbital motion around the Sun when determining the optimal time for launch. Launching towards the east takes advantage of Earth's rotation, and launching when the spacecraft will be moving in the same direction as Earth's orbit around the Sun provides an additional boost. Considering these factors helps conserve fuel and time needed to reach distant destinations in space.

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Rubini Devi Mutthusamy
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113 views1 page

Launch A "Rocket" From A Spinning "Planet"

Deep Space 1 was launched on October 24, 1998 from Cape Canaveral, Florida atop a Delta rocket to begin its journey. Space engineers consider both the rotational motion of Earth on its axis and its orbital motion around the Sun when determining the optimal time for launch. Launching towards the east takes advantage of Earth's rotation, and launching when the spacecraft will be moving in the same direction as Earth's orbit around the Sun provides an additional boost. Considering these factors helps conserve fuel and time needed to reach distant destinations in space.

Uploaded by

Rubini Devi Mutthusamy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Launch a "Rocket" from a Spinning "Planet"

Deep Space 1 blasted off at 8:08 A !"astern Da#light $ime% on &ctober '()
1**8+ As it rode atop a Delta rocket) it ,as launched from -ape -ana.eral) /lorida+
0o, do space engineers kno, ,hen to launch1
2ell) nothing in space stands still+ ".er#thing) either orbits around
something else) or mo.es to,ard or a,a# from something else+ So) ho, do space
engineers aim a spacecraft so it lands on ars or meets up ,ith a particular
comet or asteroid1 3ot onl# the "arth) the target constantl# mo.ing in their
different orbits around the Sun4 but our "arthl# launch pad is spinning at about
1)000 miles per hour ,hen ,e launch the rocket5
6n picking a time to launch) space engineers and scientists ha.e to
consider 7uite a number of things+ ost of them ha.e to do ,ith getting the
biggest boost possible from the big launch pad called planet "arth5 "arth goes
around the sun at a brisk 108)000 kilometers per hour !99)000 miles per hour%5 6f
our interplanetar# spacecraft aimed) in the same direction "arth is alread# going4
it ,ill get a big head start+
Also) "arth rotates east,ard on its a:is) one complete turn each da#+ At the
e7uator) "arth;s surface is rotating at 198< kilometers per hour !10(1 miles per
hour%5 So if ,e launch the rocket to,ard the east) it ,ill get another big boost from
"arth;s rotational motion+ 3o,) ,e launch east,ard+ 2e pick the time of launch !in
Deep Space 1;s case) earl# morning% to gi.e the rocket time to accelerate as it
goes part,a# around "arth+ $hen) ,hen the spacecraft is headed in the same
direction as "arth;s orbital motion around the sun) the rocket gi.es it a final boost
out of "arth orbit and on its ,a#+
=sing both the rotational motion of "arth on its a:is and the orbital motion
of "arth around the Sun) ,e can sa.e a lot of fuel and a lot of time in getting to our
far distant destination5 Read# + + + Aim + + + >last off5
&nce launches) the first step is getting most of the ,a# out of the gra.it#
,ell) ,hich is the blasting #ou see on $? ,hen it launches+ $hen) #ou dump the
empt# tanks to reduce ,eight+ At the same time) turn the path so #ou build speed
and altitude to orbit) perhaps dumping additional tanks+ $hat is shuttle pattern+
2ith a tubular multistage rocket) at each stage the tanks and engines are both
dropped and the ne:t stage ignited+ =suall#) the tanks and engines are destro#ed
in falling because the ,eight of parachutes isn;t ,orth added fuel re7uired
because of the damage done in a parachute landing+ $he solid state rocket
boosters on the shuttle are reco.ered because the# are rebuilt in sections+ $he
main tank barel# holds its shape !pressure of fuel inside helps% and is lost+
As the rocket reaches altitude) all of the remaining thrust is used to shape
the orbit+ 6n some cases) the first orbit is o.al so it s,ings ,a# out and ,ould
normall# came back lo, but after coasting to the high end the engines are fired
again to round the orbit into a high orbit ,ithout as much fuel use+

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