After launch from Earth orbit, a robot spacecraft of mass 5400 kg is coasting at constant speed halfway through its six- month flight to Mars when a NASA engineer discovers that, instead of heading for a 100-km-high orbit above the Martian surface, it is headed on a collision course directly toward the center of the planet. To correct the course, the engineer orders a short burst from the spacecraft's thrusters transverse to the direction of its motion. The thrust engines provide a constant force of 1200 N. For how long a time must the thrusters fire to achieve the correct course? Take needed data from Appendix C, and assume the distance between Earth and Mars to re- main constant at its smallest possible value.

After launch from Earth orbit, a robot spacecraft of mass 5400 kg is coasting at constant speed halfway through its six- month flight to Mars when a NASA engineer discovers that, instead of heading for a 100-km-high orbit above the Martian surface, it is headed on a collision course directly toward the center of the planet. To correct the course, the engineer orders a short burst from the spacecraft's thrusters transverse to the direction of its motion. The thrust engines provide a constant force of 1200 N. For how long a time must the thrusters fire to achieve the correct course? Take needed data from Appendix C, and assume the distance between Earth and Mars to re- main constant at its smallest possible value.