Fact of the Day: 29/12/2020

If you were in a spaceship orbiting Earth, how would you change orbits? The mechanism behind this (generally referred to as ‘orbital mechanics’) is fascinating, yet counterintuitive. It is based on a general principle that can be illustrated as follows. The closer your spaceship is to Earth, the faster it revolves around the planet. The further away the spaceship is, the slower it moves. If you wanted to change orbit to get a broader view of Earth, you’d have to move to a higher orbit, where you’d be orbiting more slowly. If you wanted to change orbit to get closer to Earth, you’d have to move to a lower orbit, where you’d be orbiting faster. So how would you do it if you were on a spaceship? The standard method used by spacecraft crew is called the Hohmann Transfer. Maybe try doing an Internet search to find out more about this incredibly fascinating topic!

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