Build a Two-Body Orbit Propagator

Turn the equation of motion you derived into a working numerical simulator.

You have derived the two-body equation of motion. Now you will implement it. In this guided build you will integrate a satellite’s trajectory from an initial state, confirm your simulator conserves energy, and visualize the orbit — the exact loop every mission-analysis tool runs.

Two-body equation of motionNumerical integrationEnergy & angular momentum conservation

Milestones

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Every propagation starts from a state: where the satellite is and how fast it is moving. • Set mu = 398600.4418 (km³/s²). • Put the satellite at r0 = [7000, 0, 0] km. • Give it the circular speed perpendicular to r0: v0 = [0, sqrt(mu/7000), 0] km/s. • Print the initial radius and speed so you can confirm them.

numpy

Initial radius printed (7000 km)

Circular speed printed (~7.546 km/s)