Question

A satellite in low earth orbit has an orbital period of 90 minutes, and it enters and exits the earth's shadow once during each orbit. A rigidly constrained Be strut cools to -115˚C when it is in the earth's shadow, and it warms to 85˚C when it is in sunlight. If the strut has no stress when it is at a temperature of 22˚C, determine (a) whether the strut will reach its yield strength of 480 MPa, and (b) whether there is a realistic concern about a possible fatigue failure during this component's expected 10-year service life in orbit.

Answer 1