A solar sail allows a spacecraft to use sunlight pressure for propulsion. Consider a spacecraft with a solar sail that is made of a perfect reflecting panel with a surface area of 5000 m2. The average intensity of sunlight is I the distance (in meters) from the spacecraft to the sun. The gravitational force between two objects is calculated as F = Gm,m2/r², where r is the distance between m¡ and gravitational constant is G 7 x 10-11 m³/(kg-s?) and the mass of the sun is msun kg. = 3 x 1025/r2 (in unit of W/m²), where r is m2. The 2 x 1030 (a) Based on the Newton's laws, derive the condition for a spacecraft escaping from the sun and travel to outside the solar system. (b) Calculate the maximal mass of the spacecraft that can escape from the sun.
A solar sail allows a spacecraft to use sunlight pressure for propulsion. Consider a spacecraft with a solar sail that is made of a perfect reflecting panel with a surface area of 5000 m2. The average intensity of sunlight is I the distance (in meters) from the spacecraft to the sun. The gravitational force between two objects is calculated as F = Gm,m2/r², where r is the distance between m¡ and gravitational constant is G 7 x 10-11 m³/(kg-s?) and the mass of the sun is msun kg. = 3 x 1025/r2 (in unit of W/m²), where r is m2. The 2 x 1030 (a) Based on the Newton's laws, derive the condition for a spacecraft escaping from the sun and travel to outside the solar system. (b) Calculate the maximal mass of the spacecraft that can escape from the sun.
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Transcribed Image Text:A solar sail allows a spacecraft to use sunlight pressure for propulsion. Consider
a spacecraft with a solar sail that is made of a perfect reflecting panel with a surface area of
5000 m2. The average intensity of sunlight is I = 3 × 1025/r² (in unit of W/m²), where r is
the distance (in meters) from the spacecraft to the sun. The gravitational force between two
objects is calculated as F =
gravitational constant is G 7 × 10¬1" m³/(kg-s²) and the mass of the sun is msun = 2× 1030
kg.
Gm,m2/r2, where r is the distance between m¡ and m2. The
(a) Based on the Newton's laws, derive the condition for a spacecraft escaping from the sun
and travel to outside the solar system.
(b) Calculate the maximal mass of the spacecraft that can escape from the sun.
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