Orbital Velocity
Calculator
Results
- Orbital velocity (m/s)
- 7,672.618886
- Orbital velocity (km/s)
- 7.672618
- Orbital period (minutes)
- 92.414007
Astronomy results
| Orbital velocity (m/s) | 7,672.618886 |
| Orbital velocity (km/s) | 7.672618 |
| Orbital period (minutes) | 92.414007 |
formula-map diagram
- Orbital velocity (m/s)
- 7,672.618886
- Orbital velocity (km/s)
- 7.672618
- Orbital period (minutes)
- 92.414007
Astronomical relationship
Formula
v = √(G M / r)= 7672.6188865953
Note
This result is a simplified model: it applies the displayed textbook formula to the values you entered, assuming ideal spherical bodies, circular orbits, blackbody radiation and perfect optics, and ignoring atmospheric seeing, relativistic corrections beyond those stated, cosmological models and measurement uncertainty. Use published ephemerides and catalogue data for real observations.
More in Astronomy and space
See all →Frequently asked questions
What does the orbital velocity result represent?+
It's the speed a satellite or planet must maintain to hold a stable circular orbit at a given distance from the central body's center. At that speed, gravitational pull exactly supplies the centripetal force needed to keep it curving instead of flying off or falling in.
Why does orbital velocity decrease at higher altitudes?+
The formula v = √(GM/r) shows velocity falling as orbital radius r increases, because gravity weakens with distance. This is why satellites in low Earth orbit travel around 7.8 km/s while those in geostationary orbit, much farther out, travel only about 3.1 km/s.
Is orbital velocity the same as escape velocity?+
No, they're related but different: escape velocity is always exactly √2 (about 1.414) times the circular orbital velocity at the same distance. That's why escaping a gravity well takes noticeably more speed than merely orbiting it.
Does the calculator assume a circular orbit?+
Yes, the standard orbital velocity formula assumes a circular orbit, where speed is constant throughout. Elliptical orbits have varying speed, faster at perigee (closest approach) and slower at apogee (farthest point), governed instead by the vis-viva equation.
What mass value should I use for the central body?+
Use the mass of the object being orbited, such as Earth, the Sun, or another planet, not the orbiting satellite's mass. Like escape velocity, orbital velocity does not depend on the smaller orbiting object's own mass.