Spacecraft Reentry. A spacecraft made of aluminum circles the earth at a speed of 7700 m/s.
(a) Find the ratio of its kinetic energy to the energy required to raise its temperature from 0oC to 600oC. (The melting point of aluminum is 660oC. Assume a constant specific heat of 910 J/kg' K.)
(b) Discuss the bearing of your answer on the problem of the reentry of a manned space vehicle into the earth's atmosphere