🛰️ Escape Velocity Calculator
Find the minimum speed an object needs to permanently escape a celestial body’s gravitational pull.
What This Calculator Does
This tool calculates escape velocity — the minimum speed an object must reach, without further propulsion, to break free of a celestial body’s gravitational pull and never fall back.
The Formula
Escape velocity is calculated as v = √(2GM / r), where v is escape velocity in meters per second, G is the gravitational constant (6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ N·m²/kg²), M is the mass of the celestial body in kilograms, and r is the distance from the body’s center, typically its surface radius, in meters. Choose a preset body like Earth or the Moon, or select Custom to enter your own mass and radius.
Why It Matters
Escape velocity explains why rockets need enormous speed to leave Earth (about 11.2 km/s) while a much smaller push suffices to leave the Moon (about 2.4 km/s), since the Moon is far less massive. Escape velocity depends only on mass and distance, not on the mass of the escaping object itself.
- Preset planetary values are approximate and for general educational purposes, not precision aerospace engineering.