Question: The NASA spacecraft Deep Space 1 was shut down on December 18, 2001, following a three-year journey to the asteroid Braille and the comet Borrelly.

The NASA spacecraft Deep Space 1 was shut down on December 18, 2001, following a three-year journey to the asteroid Braille and the comet Borrelly. This spacecraft used a solar-powered ion engine to produce 0.021 pounds of thrust (force) by stripping electrons from xenon atoms and accelerating the resulting ions to 70,000 mi/h. The thrust was only as much as the weight of a couple sheets of paper, but the engine operated continuously for 16,000 hours. As a result, the speed of the spacecraft increased by 7900 mi/h. What was the mass of Deep Space 1? (Assume that the mass of the xenon gas is negligible.)

Step by Step Solution

3.43 Rating (175 Votes )

There are 3 Steps involved in it

1 Expert Approved Answer
Step: 1 Unlock

Convert the force of its engine from ounces to Newtons ... View full answer

blur-text-image
Question Has Been Solved by an Expert!

Get step-by-step solutions from verified subject matter experts

Step: 2 Unlock
Step: 3 Unlock

Document Format (1 attachment)

Word file Icon

1307-P-M-K(2819).docx

120 KBs Word File

Students Have Also Explored These Related Mechanics Questions!