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Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students 4th Edition - Solutions Manual by Howard D. Curtis

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This complete solution manual accompanies Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students (4th Edition) by Howard D. Curtis and provides detailed solutions to all end-of-chapter problems. It is designed to help students understand and apply key concepts in astrodynamics and orbital mechanics. The manual begins with foundational topics such as two-body motion, orbital elements, and Kepler’s laws. It continues with transformations between coordinate systems, orbit determination, and relative motion. Advanced chapters cover interplanetary trajectories, satellite rendezvous, and orbit perturbations including atmospheric drag and gravitational anomalies. Each solution is fully worked out with equations, step-by-step derivations, diagrams where applicable, and numerical accuracy aligned with engineering standards. This resource is ideal for aerospace engineering students seeking clarity in problem-solving and preparing for exams or practical applications in spacecraft dynamics.

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?
D??
EED
OVV
RRO
PPP
AAP
A__
VIIA
UUV
SSTT

,SSTT

SOLUTIONS MANUAL
UUV

to accompany


ORBITAL MECHANICS FOR ENGINEERING STUDENTS
VIIA
A__
AAP

Howard D. Curtis
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Daytona Beach, Florida
PPP
RRO
OVV
EED
D??
?

, Solutions Manual Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students Chapter 1


Problem 1.1
(a)
( )(
A ⋅ A = Ax iˆ + Ay ˆj + Az kˆ ⋅ Ax iˆ + Ay ˆj + Az kˆ )
( ) ( ) (
= Ax iˆ ⋅ Ax iˆ + Ay ˆj + Az kˆ + Ay ˆj ⋅ Ax iˆ + Ay ˆj + Az kˆ + Az kˆ ⋅ Ax iˆ + Ay ˆj + Az kˆ )
=  Ax 2 ( iˆ ⋅ iˆ ) + Ax Ay iˆ ⋅ ˆj + Ax Az ( iˆ ⋅ kˆ )  +  Ay Ax ˆj ⋅ iˆ + Ay 2 ˆj ⋅ ˆj + Ay Az ˆj ⋅ kˆ 
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
   
+  Az Ax ( kˆ ⋅ iˆ ) + Az Ay kˆ ⋅ ˆj + Az 2 ( kˆ ⋅ kˆ ) 
( )
 
SSTT

2
=  Ax (1) + Ax Ay ( 0 ) + Ax Az ( 0 ) +  Ay Ax ( 0 ) + Ay 2 (1) + Ay Az ( 0 ) +  Az Ax ( 0 ) + Az Ay ( 0 ) + Az 2 (1)
     
= Ax 2 + Ay 2 + Az 2
UUV

But, according to the Pythagorean Theorem, Ax2 + Ay 2 + Az 2 = A2 , where A = A , the magnitude of
the vector A . Thus A ⋅ A = A2 .

(b)
VIIA

iˆ ˆj kˆ
A ⋅ ( B × C ) = A ⋅ Bx By Bz
Cx Cy Cz
A__

(  ) (
= Ax iˆ + Ay ˆj + Az kˆ ⋅  iˆ By Cz − Bz C y − ˆj ( Bx Cz − Bz Cx ) + kˆ Bx C y − By Cx 
)  ( )
( )
= Ax By Cz − Bz C y − Ay ( Bx Cz − Bz Cx ) + Az Bx C y − By Cx ( )
AAP

or

A ⋅ ( B × C) = AxBy C z + Ay Bz C x + Az BxC y − AxBz C y − Ay BxC z − Az By C x (1)
PPP

Note that ( A × B) ⋅ C = C ⋅ ( A × B) , and according to (1)

C ⋅ ( A × B) = C x Ay Bz + C y Az Bx + C z AxBy − C x Az By − C y AxBz − C z Ay Bx (2)
RRO

The right hand sides of (1) and (2) are identical. Hence A ⋅ ( B × C) = ( A × B) ⋅ C .

(c)
OVV

iˆ ˆj kˆ iˆ ˆj kˆ
(
A × ( B × C ) = Ax iˆ + Ay ˆj + Az kˆ × Bx ) By Bz = Ax Ay Az
Cx Cy Cz By Cz − Bz C y Bz Cx − Bx C y Bx C y − By Cx
EED

=  Ay Bx C y − By Cx − Az ( Bz Cx − Bx Cz )  î +  Az By Cz − Bz C y − Ax Bx C y − By Cx  ˆj
( ) ( ) ( )
   
) (
+  Ax ( Bz Cx − Bx Cz ) − Ay By Cz − Bz C y  k̂
 
D??

= Ay Bx C y + Az Bx Cz − Ay By Cx − Az Bz Cx iˆ + Ax By Cx + Az By Cz − Ax Bx C y − Az Bz C y ˆj
( ) ( )
+ ( Ax Bz Cx + Ay Bz C y − Ax Bx Cz − Ay By Cz ) k̂

= Bx ( Ay C y + Az Cz ) − Cx ( Ay By + Az Bz )  î + By ( Ax Cx + Az Cz ) − C y ( Ax Bx + Az Bz )  ĵ
?

   
+ Bz ( Ax Cx + Ay C y ) − Cz ( Ax Bx + Ay By )  k̂
 

Add and subtract the underlined terms to get




1

, Solutions Manual Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students Chapter 1



( ) (
A × ( B × C ) = Bx Ay C y + Az Cz + Ax Cx − Cx Ay By + Az Bz + Ax Bx  î
  )
( ) (
+ By Ax Cx + Az Cz + Ay C y − C y Ax Bx + Az Bz + Ay By  ĵ
  )
+ Bz Ax Cx + Ay C y + Az Cz − Cz Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz  kˆ
( ) ( )
 
( ˆ ˆ ˆ
)( ˆ
) (ˆ
)(
= Bx i + By j + Bz k Ax Cx + Ay C y + Az Cz − Cx i + C y j + Cz kˆ Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz )
or
SSTT

A × ( B × C) = B( A ⋅ C) − C( A ⋅ B)

Problem 1.2 Using the interchange of Dot and Cross we get

( A × B) ⋅ (C × D) = [( A × B) × C] ⋅ D
UUV

But

[( A × B) × C] ⋅ D = − [C × ( A × B)] ⋅ D (1)
VIIA

Using the bac – cab rule on the right, yields

[( A × B) × C] ⋅ D = −[ A(C ⋅ B) − B(C ⋅ A)] ⋅ D
A__

or

[( A × B) × C] ⋅ D = −( A ⋅ D)(C ⋅ B) + ( B ⋅ D)(C ⋅ A) (2)
AAP

Substituting (2) into (1) we get

[( A × B) × C] ⋅ D = ( A ⋅ C)( B ⋅ D) − ( A ⋅ D)( B ⋅ C)
PPP

Problem 1.3
Velocity analysis
RRO

From Equation 1.38,

v = v o + Ω × rrel + v rel . (1)
OVV

From the given information we have

v o = −10Iˆ + 30 Jˆ − 50K
ˆ (2)
EED

(
rrel = r − ro = 150Iˆ − 200 Jˆ + 300K ) (
ˆ − 300Iˆ + 200 Jˆ + 100K )
ˆ = −150Iˆ − 400 Jˆ + 200K
ˆ (3)
D??

Iˆ Jˆ ˆ
K
Ω × rrel = 0.6 −0.4 1.0 = 320Iˆ − 270
0 Jˆ − 300K
ˆ (4)
−150 −400 200
?


2

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