Principle of Launching of a Satellite and Use of Multistage Rocket

by Grosap •

Satellite

A satellite is a device that continuously revolves on its own around the much larger body in a stable orbit.

Natural Satellite 

A satellite created by nature.

  • Natural satellites like the moon (satellite of earth), earth (satellite of sun), planet (satellite of sun).
  • Jupiter and Saturn have 14 and 12 satellites respectively. 

Artificial Satellite 

A satellite made by humans.

  • India put its first satellite Aryabhatta from Russian soil on 19 April 1975.
  • India's important satellites like INSAT-IA, INSAT-IB, INSAT-2D, INSAT-2B, IRS-IC, etc

Launching of a Satellite 

Principle 

  • Consider a high tower with its top projecting a body outside the earth's atmosphere.
  • Let us throw a body with different velocities.
  • Due to its low-velocity body describes a parabolic path and hits the earth surface at A.
  • Similarly, on increasing velocity body hits the surface at B and makes a large horizontal range.
  • Again on increasing the velocity body hits at C.
  • At a certain velocity, the body will not hit the earth's surface, but will always be in a state of free fall under gravity and attempt to fall to the earth but fails all time.

Thus, two velocities are required to put satellites into an orbit around the earth.

    • Escape velocity - A minimum vertical velocity to take the satellite to a suitable height.
    • Horizontal velocity - To make it move in a circular orbit around the earth.

    Multistage Rocket (or Step Rocket)

    A multistage rocket is a launching vehicle that generally contains 3-stages, each stage has its own engines and missiles.

    Use of multistage rockets 

    • To provide much higher escape velocity to put satellite to a suitable height.
    • The satellite is placed on the third stage. At lift off, the exhaust gases build up a very large upthrust so that the rocket accelerates upwards.
    • When the fuel of the first stage gets exhausted, its casing is detached.
    • Now the rocket is tilted gradually, the second stage comes into the operation, and its velocity increases. The stage gets detached.
    • The final stage of the rocket turns the satellite in a horizontal direction and gives it a proper speed.
    • With this speed, the satellite revolves around the earth in a stable orbit.

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