Orbital mechanics presentation at work (I’m doing it!)

[Rune]

A worthwhile endeavor, and an interesting table of contents on the OP. But. While I applaud the initiative, I share the concerns about losing your audience... When explaining this stuff, you will be lucky if you get the basic points of orbital mechanics across (speeding takes you up, slowing takes you down, inclination changes, etc). Stuff like Oberth effect and interplanetary transfers, that requires understanding all that jazz, and is just too much for the same explanation, IMO. So maybe pare it down to two different talks, one about rockets (to learn how they get the dV they get and how they maneuver) and another about orbital mechanics (to know why distance is measured in dV), and maybe offer the first one as a prize for attending the other one and liking it.

 

Rune. Getting into the distinction between Newtonian gravity and Einstenian curved spacetime is the kind of thing that will fly over the head of all attendees.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Rune

[Warzouz]

I found how I'll do it

For the time : I'll offer a mid day break between 12 and 14h, I'll bring the cakes (that's not a lie :D). I'll start explaining and lunch around 13h. I'll show some vids and enter in free form discussion. Then I'll continue on until 14h.

A for the presentation, I'll stick with :

1. Question + Illustration and enter a quick discussion
2. Illustration + illustration and enter a quick explaination
3. What to remind
4. goto 1 on next topic

I'm on vacation next week, I've work to do !

 

As for orbital velocity, I found that Orbital velocity is grossly % to body size from the same altitude from the surface (assuming same body density). TWR would have to be % to body mass (earth related)

• A x1.25 sized earth would require 1.25 orbital velocity and TWR=2 (earth related)
• A x2 sized earth would require 2 orbital velocity and TWR=8 (earth related)

[Val]

On 12/02/2016 at 11:16 AM, Warzouz said:

On 11/02/2016 at 1:48 PM, Rocket In My Pocket said:

I'm confused, how would learning orbital mechanics help a bunch of bankers?

Or is this just a sort of "after hours/just for fun" thing?

Yes, that's about fun. I already did a basic communication security introduction (spoke about hash, cyphering, private/public keys, certificate...). But orbital mechanic will surely have no use at work.

Until the day someone comes to ask for a loan to fund a new rocket invention. Then they be better equipped to evaluate its potential... Maybe 

[Warzouz]

1 hour ago, Val said:

Until the day someone comes to ask for a loan to fund a new rocket invention. Then they be better equipped to evaluate its potential... Maybe 

Then I'll ask for a simulation into KSP

[Warzouz]

I've created most of the powerpoint support. It's quite big (50 slides) but each slide is very light. Most of them only have only on image.

I'll issue invitation next week.

[AbacusWizard]

Would you be willing to share the powerpoint presentation? As a physics teacher I'd be interested in stealing your ideas exploring your perspective on the topics.

[Kerbart]

An image to scale that shows the earth and the orbit of ISS. I always find it a good illustration that "in orbit" has everything to do with orbital velocity and not with "lack of gravity due to being high up in space" as you're pretty much still on top of the surface of the earth.

[Mister Dilsby]

On 2/26/2016 at 5:24 AM, Warzouz said:

Something I may use to illustrate dV and TWR : what would be the dV to Low "earth" orbit if

Dude, if in 30 minutes you can get a room full of bankers to truly understand that you get to orbit by adding velocity, not altitude, you'll have already exceeded expectations.  

[Warzouz]

This morning, I've tested it on my wife as guinea pig. She found the presentation understandable and interesting (she wasn't enthusiast at first... - that was quite a requisition !). But i was 20min too long (40 if I want to make a brake). The 3 powerpoints on orbital mechanics are nice but the rocket one is too long. I have to shorten it.

On 4/3/2016 at 4:57 AM, AbacusWizard said:

Would you be willing to share the powerpoint presentation? As a physics teacher I'd be interested in stealing your ideas exploring your perspective on the topics.

I could, but it's in french. I'll see if I've time to translate.

[Warzouz]

OK, I'm organizing the meeting in 10 days for the presentation : I invited the to discover the occult orbital mechanics (cabalistic figures, mathematical incantation and Bone reading into Excel sheets) and about rocket alchemy.I explained I tested the presentation on my wife and that she saved (most of) her mental sanity

I'll tell you how it'll end (vomit, loss of conciousness, suicides)

(Warning : this is not a pentagram for repelling evil spirits and IRS tax controllers...)

[Warzouz]

I just finished my presentation today. Sadly, I had to skip the whole chapter about rockets due to lack of time. But everyone was enthusiast.

It was a success !

Here is what I did in 1h30

• Chapter 1 : 4 questions about gravity (Why earth orbit the sun and not the opposite ? Why the apple fall and not the moon ? Can we reach ISS with a ladder ? ...)
• Chapter 2 : Ellipses and hyperboles, basic orbital mechanics. Importance of speed, Newton canon, apoapsis & periapsis, prograde accelerations (as near as mass), changing direction (as far from mass possible), periaps kicks
• Chapter 3 : Interplanetary missions, transfers (rapid, direct, hohmann), phase angles and ejection angles, aerocapture and gravity assist,
• Commented 7min video

Edited March 17, 2016 by Warzouz

[Warzouz]

On the road again !

Colleagues asked for the last chapter of my presentation ! I'll add a KSP demo : landing on the Mun with Kerbal-X. OK, that's easy but it'll show quite a lot of concepts I've explained last cession.

Maybe some new KSP player

Edited March 25, 2016 by Warzouz

[Warzouz]

For those of you who wanted to have to see the presention, I've started to translate.

Here is the introduction (PDF - 450kB)

The source file will be provided when I have translated everything

[Warzouz]

OK here are the chapters 1, 2 and 3

• Chapter 1 : Gravity, weightlessness and ISS
• Chapter 2 : Orbit, acceleration and escape speed
• Chapter 3 : Flight plan, transfer windows, etc.
• Chapter 4 : About rockets (to do)
• Delta-V examples excel sheets (to do)

Edited April 12, 2016 by Warzouz

[Gargamel]

Congrats!

I'll be interested in taking a looka t this myself. 

[Tw1]

Looks like a nice set of slides.

[lude]

orbital mechanics on minimal scale are also interesting (electroncs)