2010 Physics Competition ~ Team 179

The oldest son is part of team 179 and above is page two of their competition paper.   

Click on the photo to enlarge and have a clearer view of the page.

The University Physics Competition is an international contest for undergraduate students, who will work in teams of three at their home colleges and universities all over the world, and spend a weekend in November, 48 hours, analyzing a real-world scenario using the principles of physics, and writing a formal paper describing their work. 

Problem A.  Aerobraking a Space Probe at Neptune:

In order to enter a circular orbit around another planet, a spacecraft must change its trajectory upon arrival; otherwise it will fly past the planet.  If this trajectory change is done with a rocket engine alone, the fuel required for this can contribute significantly to the cost of the mission.  However, if the spacecraft’s trajectory carries it through the atmosphere of the planet, then the resulting drag can significantly reduce the amount of fuel required.  Consider a 2,500 kg spacecraft to be sent to the planet Neptune, arriving at a speed of 30 km/s.  How much margin of error would be allowed in designing a trajectory through the outer atmosphere of Neptune which would save a significant amount of fuel?

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