A 100 kg satellite 400 km above earth has an
orbital speed of v km/hour. A 200 kg satellite
with the same orbit radius will require an
orbital speed:
Answer : v km/hour
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Answer: Easy. The formula for the orbital velocity of any object in orbit is:
Where:
v = the orbital velocity
G = Gravity
Mcentral = the mass of the body being orbited
R = radius of the orbit
Nowhere in that equation is the mass of the orbiting object required. This means that all objects at the same altitude have the same orbital velocity, regardless of their mass.
You can see how the above equation is derived (and why the mass of the orbiting object isn’t required) here: Mathematics of Satellite Motion
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