Angular Momentum
In the context of aerospace engineering, Angular Momentum refers to the rotational equivalent of linear momentum. It is a fundamental concept in understanding the dynamics of bodies in rotational motion, particularly in the study of spacecraft attitude control and orbital mechanics. Angular momentum is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. It is conserved in an isolated system, which is a key principle used in spacecraft attitude control. For instance, reaction wheels and control moment gyroscopes exploit the conservation of angular momentum to control the orientation of a spacecraft. In orbital mechanics, the angular momentum of a satellite about the central body is conserved unless acted upon by an external torque. This principle is used to predict the motion of celestial bodies and design satellite orbits. The unit of angular momentum in the International System of Units (SI) is kilogram meter squared per second (kg.m^2/s).
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