Overview
What Is Escape Velocity?
Escape velocity is the minimum speed needed for an object to escape a celestial body's gravitational pull without further propulsion.
Calculate escape velocity from a planetary body.
Escape velocity is the minimum speed needed for an object to escape a celestial body's gravitational pull without further propulsion.
Useful for understanding orbital mechanics and space travel physics concepts.
Input the celestial body's mass in kg.
Input the body's radius in meters.
The result updates automatically.
v = √(2GM/r), where G is the gravitational constant, M is mass, and r is radius.
Approximately 11.2 km/s (about 25,000 mph).
Greater mass creates stronger gravitational pull, requiring more speed to escape it.
A smaller radius means you're closer to the center of mass, experiencing stronger gravity at the surface.
No, calculations happen entirely in your browser.
Notably lower than Earth's, since the Moon has less mass and a smaller radius - a common comparison point.
No, escape velocity depends only on the celestial body's mass and radius, not on the mass of the object trying to escape.
Yes, understanding escape velocity is fundamental to spacecraft launch and orbital mechanics planning.
The gravitational constant, approximately 6.674 × 10^-11 N·m²/kg².
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