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Please give me some details regarding the propulsion system used in the space, how they get started and stopped

2007-03-13 19:51:39 · 3 answers · asked by Bala 1 in Science & Mathematics Engineering

3 answers

Basically, the final launch speed and duration of firing determine the average altitude of the satellite. Usually the rocket goes straight up for a while then the path leans over and it is aimed while it is building speed. If this is done flawlessly, the satellite enters a circular orbit at the right altitude. Since there are flaws in most human processes, most satellites are launched with a final stage engine that can be turned on and off, so that a high altitude satellite might be put in a longer thinner orbit that would brush the atmosphere if used for any time, then when it reaches the highest point, the booster engine is fired again to round out the orbit, perhaps after the combo is rotated in space to aim the thrust in the right direction.
Satellites (and the Shuttle) are provided with thrusters which are small (usually hydrogen peroxide) rockets which can rotate the thing to orient it and can provide some speed adjustment depending on the unit.
The engines are stopped by cutting off the fuel. Depending on the fuels, the engine may be started because of a catalyst (with H2O2), because the oxidizer and fuel spontaineously ignite when mixed at the engine, or because there is an ignitor that produces a flame to light the mix.
The satellites never stop moving in space. Some of them stay in the same spot over earth because they move in orbit at exactly the angular velocity of the surface of the earth.

2007-03-13 20:05:43 · answer #1 · answered by Mike1942f 7 · 0 0

The boost engine puts the satellite into an approximate orbit; final adjustments (if necessary) can be made with small rockets, which often use hypergolic fuels (means that the fuel and oxidizer ignite on contact, so no igniter is requred). Unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine and nitric acid are an example of such a fuel and oxidizer. Boost engine control has reached such a fine state that orbital refinement isn't much needed -- one simply steers the rocket by adjusting the engine angle as needed, and shutting it off when the desired orbit is achieved. Typical fuel for boost engines are kerosene or liquid hydrogen; the oxidizer is liquid oxygen.

2007-03-14 03:00:22 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

the process of putting a satellite into space is just projectile motion . as the satellite 'falls' towards the earth the rotation of the earth makes it curve away and hence the satellite does not fall on the earth and rotates around the earth.

but regarding the propulsion system i am sorry , can't help you there.

2007-03-14 02:59:39 · answer #3 · answered by vatsa 2 · 0 1

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