Placing a satellite into orbit?

Question

How are satellites placed into orbit? They are sent up to space, released, and they just naturally fall into place in the orbit?

If I wanted to put something into orbit around Mars, what would need to be done?
(I don't plan to, haha)

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Satellite orbits & engine burns are plotted pretty precisely.... Generally, you launch a satellite directly to it's orbital altitude, and let physics keep it up there. Or, like if you're trying to place a Geo-synchronous satellite up at 23,600 miles, you'd first get it to low Earth orbit, then boost it to 23,600. Now, if you don't do anything, the orbit will vary between 23,600 miles and low earth orbit - say, 200 miles. So, once it's up at altitude, you want to fire the engines again to give it a little boost laterally - in the same direction it's desired orbit is.

To orbit something around Mars, first, you have to figure out what how your plan to enter orbit about Mars. If you leave Earth, and have fuel left over for an insertion burn, you can get there pretty quick, because you'll have fuel enough to slow down to Mars' orbital speed. Now, if you had *no* more fuel, then your speed needs to be such that when you finally reach Mars, your speed & direction is *just enough* to 'fall' into orbit about Mars. This means you're journey to Mars will take longer, because you can't slow your speed when you get there.

Answer 2

They are lifted above the atmosphere and then given a sideways speed of 17,500 MPH. It is the 17,500 MPH speed that takes most of the rocket power. A minute or so after launch the rocket tips over on its side and spends then next 10 minutes or so flying parallel to the ground and getting the satellite up to speed. That is what keeps it from falling to the ground. This is the difference between an orbital space flight and a suborbital flight. The suborbital rocket flies up for 1 minute and then just falls back down. It takes WAY less power if you don't need to get up to a speed of 17,500 MPH.

Answer 3

The launching structures all have what's stated as inertial navigation contraptions, resembling what nuclear submarines have. they have a uncomplicated place to commence from, and make a collection of complicated calculations based on the forces imparted on the navigational unit, which then determines the area and supplies comments to flight administration computer, which genuinely controls the rocket.