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Concept
Gravity loss
Summary
In astrodynamics and rocketry, gravity loss is a measure of the loss in the net performance of a rocket while it is thrusting in a gravitational field. In other words, it is the cost of having to hold the rocket up in a gravity field.
Gravity losses depend on the time over which thrust is applied as well the direction the thrust is applied in. Gravity losses as a proportion of delta-v are minimised if maximum thrust is applied for a short time, or if thrust is applied in a direction perpendicular to the local gravitational field. During the launch and ascent phase, however, thrust must be applied over a long period with a major component of thrust in the opposite direction to gravity, so gravity losses become significant. For example, to reach a speed of 7.8 km/s in low Earth orbit requires a delta-v of between 9 and 10 km/s. The additional 1.5 to 2 km/s delta-v is due to gravity losses, steering losses and atmospheric drag.
Consider the simplified case of a vehicle with constant mass accelerating vertically with a constant thrust per unit mass a in a gravitational field of strength g. The actual acceleration of the craft is a-g and it is using delta-v at a rate of a per unit time.
Over a time t the change in speed of the spacecraft is (a-g)t, whereas the delta-v expended is at. The gravity loss is the difference between these figures, which is gt. As a proportion of delta-v, the gravity loss is g/a.
A very large thrust over a very short time will achieve a desired speed increase with little gravity loss. On the other hand, if a is only slightly greater than g, the gravity loss is a large proportion of delta-v. Gravity loss can be described as the extra delta-v needed because of not being able to spend all the needed delta-v instantaneously.
This effect can be explained in two equivalent ways:
The specific energy gained per unit delta-v is equal to the speed, so efficiency is maximized when the delta-v is spent when the craft already has a high speed, due to the Oberth effect.
Official source
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