NASA typically uses only the first 15 decimal places of pi for most calculations.
While pi is an irrational number with an infinite number of nonrepeating decimal places, for NASA's purposes, a small slice of pi is sufficient. According to a NASA article, the first 15 decimal places are generally all that is needed to solve most math problems.
Here's a breakdown:
- Pi is infinite: Pi goes on forever without repeating.
- NASA's Needs: Most NASA calculations don't require extreme precision.
- 15 Digits Sufficient: The first 15 decimal places (3.141592653589793) provide enough accuracy.
