Satellite Orbits – Energy – Power

Satellite Orbits – Energy – Power: In this lecture, bound and unbound orbits are discussed. Professor Lewin begins with a description of escape velocity, or the minimum speed required to escape the gravitational pull. Various sources of energy, energy storage, energy conversion, and the world’s energy consumption are discussed. Power, or the rate at which a force does work on an object, is central to the conversation. Professor Lewin concludes with a few words on global energy consumption and sources: although the US has about 1/30 of the world’s population, it accounts for 1/5 the global energy consumption. He considers harvesting solar radiation and nuclear power to fix this energy crisis.