Is it possible to determine the percentage of the gravitational force at a specified distance using only the geometry of the planet?
Example: The ISS at ~420km altitude “weighs” about 90% of what it would on the Earth’s surface.
Is there an equation using only geometrical values that would give you this info?
Force is proportional to m1 * m2 / r^2, so your weight as a percentage of your surface weight is equal to (radius of earth / (radius of earth + height above surface))^2.
Okay, that was way simpler than I thought it might be, lol. Thanks!