Question

What was the speed of a space shuttle that orbited Earth at an altitude of 882 km?

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

Given:

h = 882 km

R = 6371 km

___________

V - ?

Since the height of the orbit is much less than the radius of the Earth, then the acceleration of free fall g = 9.81 m/s²

Speed:

V = √ (g·(R+h)) = √ ( 9.81·(6371+882)·10³ ) ≈ 8 440 m/s or

V = 8.44 km/s