Theoretical Formulation of the Phobos, Moon of Mars Rate ofAltitudinal Loss

Abstract

It is well established that our Moon is receding from the Earth at the rate of 3.7cm/yr. It is also well established that it it is spiraling out until it will get into a geosynchronous orbit. In this futuristic orbit it will be orbiting in 47 days. But what has not been known commonly that Roche’s Limit of 18,000 Km lies just beyond the inner Geosynchronous Orbit. At the inner Geosynchronous Orbit, length of month = length of day= 5 hours. At that point of accretion from the circumterrestrial impact generated debris, the fully formed Moon experienced a Gravitational Sling Shot Effect which launched it on an outward expanding spiral path. Gravitational Sling Shot
is termed as Planet Fly-by-Gravity-Assist maneuver which is routinely used to boost mission spacecrafts to explore the farthest reach of our Solar System [3-6]. Gravitational sling Shot creates an impulsive torque which gave the orbiting Moon its extra rotational energy with which it continues to spiral out and climb up the potential well created by a much heavier Earth. It was this Gravitational Sling Shot impulsive torque which enabled Charon to spiral out from the inner Geosynchronous Orbit to outer Geosynchronous Orbit where it is in stable equilibrium tidally interlocked with Pluto.