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Banked Curves
8. Centripetal Forces & Gravitation / Banked Curves / Problem 2

A spacecraft is on a mission to explore Mars. When the spacecraft entered the Martian atmosphere, the commander made a balanced turn by tilting the spacecraft wings at an angle α to the horizontal. The commander maintained the center of gravity of the spacecraft in a horizontal plane. The speed Vs of the spacecraft was constant, and the spacecraft moved in a circle of radius Rs. Calculate the tilting angle α using Vs, Mars' gravitational acceleration g, and Rs. Note that the lift force is directed perpendicular to the wings and in the opposite direction of gravity.

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