3 ms·
It's super un-intuitive, but you're indirectly harnessing the gravitational potential energy of lowering your propellant into a gravity well and leaving it ther
by perihelions 2y ago
It's super un-intuitive, but you're indirectly harnessing the gravitational potential energy of lowering your propellant into a gravity well and leaving it there. The overall orbital energy gain of the spacecraft can exceed the chemical energy of the fuel.
- lxgr 2y agoWow, that's an amazing intuitive explanation of "where the extra energy comes from" in an Oberth effect burn that I haven't heard before. Thank you!