Assignment:
Rocket Propulsion
A rocket is fired from a space station that is 1000 miles above the surface of the Earth. We take the radius of the Earth to be 4000 miles, so r = 5000 miles. Suppose that the rocket is fired "horizontally". That is, suppose at the time the rocket is launched.
a) With what speed must the rocket be launched so that it will never come back?
b) With what speed must it be launched to go into circular orbit?