Escape Orbits
In the context of aerospace engineering, escape orbits refer to the paths that a spacecraft must follow to break free from the gravitational pull of a celestial body, such as a planet or a moon. This is achieved when the spacecraft reaches a velocity known as the escape velocity, which is the minimum speed needed for an object to escape from the gravitational influence of a massive body, without the need for further propulsion. The escape velocity depends on the mass of the celestial body and the distance from the center of the body to the object. For Earth, the escape velocity is approximately 11.2 kilometers per second. Once a spacecraft achieves this velocity, it will follow a hyperbolic trajectory and continue to move away from the celestial body indefinitely, unless acted upon by another force. Escape orbits are critical in space exploration missions, particularly those aimed at exploring other planets or the outer regions of the solar system.
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