A space shuttle orbits at an altitude of approximately 200km above the surface of the Earth. If the radius of the Earth itself is 6380 km, what’s the acceleration due to gravity at the altitude of the space shuttle?

1 answer

It is 9.81 m/s^2, multiplied by an inverse square law term,
(6380/6580)^2,
to accounnt for the reduction with increased distance from the center of the earth.

g' = 9.81*0.940 = 9.22 m/s^2