Calculate the speed required to maintain a stable orbit around a celestial body.
Orbital Parameters
kg
m
m
Velocity Results
Enter parameters to calculate velocity
About this calculator
Quick Reference
vOrbital Velocity
GGravitational Constant
MCentral Body Mass
rOrbital Radius
Overview
Orbital velocity is the speed an object must maintain to stay in orbit around a massive body. It depends on the distance from the center of the body and the mass of that body.
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Pro Tips
The velocity depends ONLY on the mass of the central body and the distance, not the mass of the orbiting object.
As distance increases, the required orbital velocity decreases.
v = √(GM / r), where G is the gravitational constant.
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Fun Facts
"The ISS travels at roughly 7.66 km/s (over 17,000 mph) to stay in low Earth orbit."
"First cosmic velocity is the speed needed to orbit Earth at its surface (about 7.9 km/s)."
"If you go faster than the escape velocity (√2 times orbital velocity), you will leave the orbit entirely."
