A satellite has a mass of 5823 kg and is in a circular orbit 4.45 × 105 m above the surface of a planet. The period of the orbit is 1.9 hours. The radius of the planet is 4.57 × 106 m. What would be the true weight of the satellite if it were at rest on the planet’s surface?

Answer 1

find the gravitational force on the satellite in orbit ... it is the centripetal force

the orbital velocity is
... 2 * π * (4.45E5 + 4.57E6) / (1.9 * 3600)

Fgo = m v^2 / r

gravitational force follows the inverse-square law

Fgs = Fgo * (orbit radius / planet radius)^2