Question

It takes a delta launch vehicle 8 min to get to low earth orbit about 100 miles up. If it went in a straight line (it doesn’t) and its speed on orbit was 17,500 mph, how many g’s would the space force service members go through? Ignore the rotation of the Earth and just solve as the rocket is in one dimension. Convert all values to metric and show the conversions.

2. The space force developed a new weapon system that makes an object experience no air drag. The objects have a mass of 100 kg. If one of the objects is dropped from a space weapons platform from a height of 136.3 miles, how much Kinetic Energy would it be able to release upon impact? ( Only work in the y dimension) A stick of dynamite has 1.7 MJ of energy. How many sticks of dynamite equivalent would this be?

Answer 1

1)
time taken, t = 8 min

= 8*60

= 480 s

distance travelled, d = 100 miles

= 100*1609 m

initial velocity, vi = 0 m/s

final velocity, vf = 17500 mph

= 17500*1609/(60*60) m/s

= 7821 m/s

acceleration of vehicel, a = (vf^2 - vi^2)/(2*d)

= (7821^2 - 0^2)/(2*100*1609)

= 190 m/s^2

= 190/(9.8)*g

= 19.4*g <<<<<<-----------Answer

2) Energy realsed upon impast, U = m*g*h

= 100*9.8*136.3*1609

= 2.149*10^8 J <<<<<<-----------Answer

and U = 2.149*10^8/(1.7*10^6)

= 126 dynamite equivalent sticks <<<<<<-----------Answer