ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Clohessy-Wiltshire equations

Ok kiddo, let's talk about the Clohessy-Wiltshire Equations, which is a mathematical formula that helps us understand how satellites move in space.

Imagine you have a toy car in your hand, and you want to make it move forward, backward, left, and right. To do this, you need to use different controls like pedals and a steering wheel. Just like that, a satellite in space needs to use different controls to move in different directions.

But to control a satellite, we need to understand how it moves in space. That's where the Clohessy-Wiltshire Equations come in. These equations tell us how a satellite moves in three different directions - up and down, left and right, and forward and backward.

They work like this: let's say you have a satellite in space, and you want to move it left and right. You would use the Clohessy-Wiltshire Equations to calculate how much you need to fire the thrusters (the engines that make the satellite move) to move the satellite left or right.

This formula is really complicated and uses a lot of math symbols, like X, Y, and Z, but it helps scientists and engineers make very precise calculations about how to control satellites in space.

So, in short, the Clohessy-Wiltshire Equations are a set of mathematical formulas that help people control the movement of satellites in space.