Question

The International Space Station, launched in November 1998, makes 15.65 revolutions around the earth each day in a circular orbit.

Apply Newton's second law to the space station and find its height (in kilometers) above the earth's surface.

Answer 1

T = 2(Pi)sqrt[r^3/µ)
T = orbit period in seconds
r = radial distance of station from Earth's center
µ = Earth's gravitational constant = 3.986365x10^14m^3/sec.^2
Solve for r

Answer 2

408