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Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students 4th Edition - Solution 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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Orbital Mechanics For Engineering Students
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Institution
Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students
Course
Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students

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Uploaded on
November 11, 2025
Number of pages
197
Written in
2025/2026
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Exam (elaborations)
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Orbital Mechanics for Engineering
ST
Students – 4th Edition
UV

SOLUTION
IA

MANUAL
_A
PP

Howard D. Curtis
RO
VE
Comprehensive Solutions Manual for Instructors

and Students
D?

© Howard D. Curtis
??
All rights reserved. Reproduction or distribution without permission is prohibited.




©STUDYSTREAM

, 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 )
ST

=  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 ) 
( )
 
SSUTT

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
UV

But, according to the Pythagorean Theorem, Ax2 + Ay 2 + Az 2 = A2 , where A = A , the magnitude of
UVIV

the vector A . Thus A ⋅ A = A2 .

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

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

 
( )
= Ax By Cz − Bz C y − Ay ( Bx Cz − Bz Cx ) + Az Bx C y − By Cx ( )
or
APPPP

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

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

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)
ROO

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

(c)
iˆ ˆj kˆ iˆ ˆj kˆ
(
A × ( B × C ) = Ax iˆ + Ay ˆj + Az kˆ × Bx ) By Bz = Ax Ay Az
VVEE

Cx Cy Cz By Cz − Bz C y Bz Cx − Bx C y Bx C y − By Cx

=  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
DD?

 
= 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
( ) ( )
 
ST

( 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
SSUTT

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
UV
UVIV

But

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

Using the bac – cab rule on the right, yields

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

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

Substituting (2) into (1) we get

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

Problem 1.3
Velocity analysis
ROO

From Equation 1.38,

v = v o + Ω × rrel + v rel . (1)

From the given information we have
VVEE

v o = −10Iˆ + 30 Jˆ − 50K
ˆ (2)


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

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

2

, Solutions Manual Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students Chapter 1



v rel = −20iˆ + 25 ˆj + 70kˆ
(
= −20 0.57735Iˆ + 0.57735 Jˆ + 0.57735K
ˆ )
(
+ 25 −0.74296Iˆ + 0.66475 Jˆ + 0.078206K
ˆ )
(
+ 70 −0.33864Iˆ − 0.47410 Jˆ + 0.81274K
ˆ )
ST

so that

v rel = −53.826Iˆ − 28.115 Jˆ + 47.300K
ˆ ( m s) (5)
SSUTT

Substituting (2), (3), (4) and (5) into (1) yields

(
v = −10Iˆ + 30 Jˆ − 50K
ˆ + 320Iˆ − 270 Jˆ − 300K ) (
ˆ + −53.826Iˆ − 28.115 Jˆ + 47.300K
ˆ) ( )
UV UVIV

v = 256.17Iˆ − 268.12 Jˆ − 302.7K
ˆ

(
= 478.68 0.53516Iˆ − 0.56011Jˆ − 0.63236K ( m s ) )
AIIA_A
Acceleration analysis

From Equation 1.42,
a = a O + Ω × rrel + Ω × ( Ω × rrel ) + 2Ω × v rel + a rel (6)
_A_A

Using the given data together with (4) and (5) we obtain

ao = 25Iˆ + 40 Jˆ − 15K
ˆ (7)
APPPP

Iˆ Jˆ ˆ
K
Ω × rrel = −0.4 0.3 −1.0 = −340Iˆ + 230 Jˆ + 205K
ˆ (8)
PPR

−150 −400 200


Iˆ Jˆ ˆ
K
ROO

Ω × ( Ω × rrel ) = 0.6 −0.4 1.0 = 390IIˆ + 500 Jˆ − 34K
ˆ (9)
320 −270 −300


Iˆ Jˆ Kˆ
VVEE
2Ω × v rel = 2 0.6 −0.4 1.0 = 2 9.151Iˆ − 82.206 Jˆ − 38.399K
ˆ ( ) (10)
−53.826 −28.115 47.300

a rel = 7.5iˆ − 8.5 ˆj + 6.0kˆ
DD?

(
= 7.5 0.57735Iˆ + 0.57735 Jˆ + 0.57735K
ˆ )
(
− 8.5 −0.74296Iˆ + 0.66475 Jˆ + 0.078206K
ˆ )
(
+ 6.0 −0.33864Iˆ − 0.47410 Jˆ + 0.81274K̂ )
???

a rel = 8.6134Iˆ − 4.1649 Jˆ + 8.5418K
ˆ (11)

Substituting (7), (8), (9), (10) and (11) into (6) yields
?

(
a = 25Iˆ + 40 Jˆ − 15K
ˆ + −340Iˆ + 230 Jˆ + 205K) (
ˆ + 390Iˆ + 500 Jˆ − 34K
ˆ ) ( )
( ) (
ˆ  + 8.6134Iˆ − 4.1649 Jˆ + 8.5418K
+  2 9.151Iˆ − 82.206 Jˆ − 38.399K 
ˆ )

3

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