MODIFIED FROM THINKING LIKE AN ENGINEER
I am designing a space probe; it will consist of a small probe and a larger vehicle. The larger vehicle will house the smaller and protect it
during launch and long space flights. The smaller probe will have testing equipment and sampling capability, and will be launched once orbit
is established. Note: while most of these calculations can be done in either SI or AES units, you are encouraged to use the AES calculations
and the $g_e$ conversion factor.
3. The mass of the larger vehicle is expected to be 3,200 kilograms and the small probe will have a mass of just 150 pounds-mass. In
order to escape Earth's gravity, the combined spacecraft (probe and vehicle) must be accelerated at a 20,000 miles per hour per hour.
How much thrust, in pounds-force, must the engines provide?
4. I want the small probe to be able to support its own weight when deployed to Neptune. What will the weight of the small probe (in
pounds-force) be on the surface of Neptune, where the gravity is 36.75 feet per second squared?
5. I'm thinking about putting some extra instruments into the larger vehicle, and landing the combined spacecraft (larger vehicle and
smaller probe) onto the planet (FINE! Dwarf Planet, have it your way!) of Pluto, where the acceleration of gravity is just 25.9 inch per
second per second. Calculate the weight of the combined spacecraft on Pluto in pounds-force.
