Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: zeestephen
How close to 0 mph will the cruising speed go before it goes into its halo orbit around the invisible L2 point?

That's a question I have too. They haven't talked about that as far as I can discover, and I don't know enough about orbital mechanics as it relates to approaching the L2 point to be able to figure the answer out from first principles.

Perhaps they will reveal this in the coming days.

40 posted on 01/15/2022 11:40:01 PM PST by Steely Tom ([Voter Fraud] == [Civil War])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies ]


To: Steely Tom

I started clicking on all the links at the Where Is Webb page and found some helpful answers.

The orbit around L2 will be approximately the same distance as the orbit of the Moon around the Earth.

However, one complete orbit around L2 will take about six months, compared to about 4 weeks for the Moon.

Relative to Earth, the L2 orbit is a polar orbit, not an equatorial orbit.

Also relative to Earth, the L2 polar orbit would never be on the dark side of the Earth.

Instead, the L2 orbit resembles an Earth polar orbit that is always facing the sun.

I made some quick calculations, and it looks like the Webb orbital speed will be around 325 mph.

The Moon orbits around 2,300 mph.


47 posted on 01/16/2022 2:44:01 AM PST by zeestephen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson