WOLFRAM|DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECT

Sputnik 1 Simulation

​
mass @ +/-
x
8
y
3
z
7
initial rotation rate
about x
1
about y
0.17
about z
0.26
time to watchmotion (sec)
50
pathtime
3
animation rate
0.05
show massdistribution
start/stop/reset
This is not really an accurate simulation of Sputnik 1; the four Sputnik-style antennas are just to help see the motion of a freely moving body in space. Click the "show mass distribution" checkbox to see an alternate rendering, which shows the
x
,
y
,
z
axes of the body and the mass distribution in these dimensions, shown as arrows and spheres protruding from the surface. Move the "
pathtime
" slider to see more or less of the paths traced by the tips of the arrows. The color scheme is red, green, and blue for axes
x
,
y
, and
z
, respectively. Put more or less mass in
x
,
y
, and
z
to see how asymmetry affects the motion. Changing the initial rotation rates also changes the motion. These changes can be explored by clicking the start button or by changing the path time, or both.