What Was The Potential Energy Of The Earth-spacecraft System?
Ten days after it was launched toward Mars in December 1998, the Mars Climate Orbiter spacecraft (mass 629 kg) was
2.87 x 10^6 km from the earth and traveling at
1.20 x 10^4 km/h relative to the earth.
Potential energy U = -GMm/r
G = 6.67 x 10^-11 Mm^2/kg^2
M = 5.98 x 10^24 kg
m = 629 kg
r = 2.87 x 10^9 m
U = -8.7 x 10^7 J