This vessel (GOCE) is in orbit and maneuvers by using air similar to a plane to create lift and turn. The solar powered ion thrusters powers it continuously inside the atmosphere for years. Is this technically a plane, satellite, or a missile?
2
-
$\begingroup$ I took the liberty of editing out the off-topic side question (not only because it's off-topic but also because you should only have one question per post). Feel free to roll back if you disagree. $\endgroup$– SanchisesApr 28, 2019 at 20:42
-
1$\begingroup$ By definition it's a spacecraft instead of an aircraft, because it relies on orbital velocity to stay up, not air in any form. It's a low drag satellite. $\endgroup$– user3528438Apr 28, 2019 at 21:40
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
2
A satellite is an object in orbit. A satellite keeps a constant altitude if it is traveling at the correct orbital speed for their altitude. Otherwise it will be in an elliptical orbit where the altitude is constantly changing. In any case, satellites are (almost) in free-fall
An airplane travels at much, much lower speed than orbital speed. Airplanes keep their altitude because their wings produce lift.
Satellites in lower orbited are subject to atmospheric drag, albeit to much smaller extentd than planes. GOCE was orbiting Earth at an - for satellites - very low altitude (224 km). There is hardly any atmosphere at this altitude, but at an orbital velocity of 7.8 m/s (51337 kts), atmospheric drag is still a problem.
Therefore the structure of GOCE was particularly designed for low drag. The wings were flat without camber. They did not produce any lift. GOCE used ion thrusters to compensate the atmospheric drag and maintain orbital velocity.
Photo: ESA
Photo: ESA
Missiles are self-propelled guided weapons. I can assure you that GOCE was not a weapon.
[TL;DR]: GOCE was a satellite, because it orbited an astronomical body. It was not a plane, because its wings did not produce lift.
GOCE´s 20 month mission ended on November 11, 2013 with the planned destructive re-enty into the atmosphere. It measured Earth´s gravity field and acquired a precise model of the Earth geoid:
Image: ESA
-
1$\begingroup$ "The wings were flat without camber. They did not produce any lift." - What were the wings for, then? I would have thought that if a surface doesn't produce lift, then that surface is not considered a wing. $\endgroup$ Apr 29, 2019 at 17:14
-
1$\begingroup$ @TannerSwett, They provide area for solar panels, and they stabilize the space craft. Indeed, it would be more correct to call them fins instead of wings $\endgroup$– boglApr 29, 2019 at 18:49