Resumen de An exact solvable model of rocket dynamics in atmosphere

H. Rodrigues, M.O. Pinho, D. Portes Jr., A. Santiago

• In basic physics courses at undergraduate level, the dynamics of self-propelled bodies is presented as an example of momentum conservation law applied to systems with time-varying mass. However, is often studied the simple situation of free motion or the motion under the action of a constant gravitational field. In this work, we investigate the more realistic case of time-dependent motion of an ascending rocket subjected to a quadratic drag exerted by the earth atmosphere. Interestingly, the resulting rocket equation of motion falls into a Riccati equation. Detailed solutions of the model differential equations are presented and discussed.