What was the minimum launch energy of the Voyager spacecraft?

Gee...I would have to estimate it the old fashioned way by recognizing that its escape velocity would have to be about 11 kilometers/sec and the total mass of the spacecraft and the rocket used is listed as 4032 kg, of which the Voyager was 792 kg. From a kinetic energy of 1/2 m V^2, this gives you 0.5 x 4032 x (11,000)^2 = 2.43 x 10^11 Joules of energy.


Copyright 1997 Dr. Sten Odenwald
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