Astronomy › Section C · Orbits and gravity › Topic C.4
Orbits in the solar system and spacecraft motion
The same laws that shape the orbits of planets, asteroids and comets also tell engineers how to put a satellite above Earth, park it over one spot, or send a probe to Mars. Spaceflight is Kepler and Newton put to work.
In this topic
- Naming the points of an orbit
- The planets' orbits
- Asteroids and comets
- Newton's cannon and circular speed
- Worked example: the International Space Station
- Satellites and their orbits
- Worked example: geostationary orbit
- Escaping Earth and travelling between planets
- Worked example: a transfer to Mars
- Gravity assists
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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