Escape Velocity Reference
Escape velocity formula, body-by-body table, and orbital speed relationships.
Reference
Formula
- Escape velocity
- v_e = √(2 G M / r)
- G
- 6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ N·m²/kg²
- Circular orbit
- v_c = √(G M / r) = v_e / √2
- Period
- T = 2π √(r³ / G M)
Escape velocities from surface
| Body | Surface v_e (km/s) |
|---|---|
| Moon | 2.38 |
| Mercury | 4.25 |
| Mars | 5.03 |
| Venus | 10.36 |
| Earth | 11.19 |
| Uranus | 21.4 |
| Neptune | 23.5 |
| Saturn | 35.5 |
| Jupiter | 59.5 |
| Sun (from surface) | 617.5 |
Earth-specific orbits
- LEO (200 km)
- ~7.8 km/s orbital, ~11.0 km/s escape
- GEO (35 786 km)
- ~3.07 km/s orbital, ~4.35 km/s escape
- Moon's orbit
- ~1.02 km/s orbital
Notes
- Escape velocity assumes no atmosphere, no propulsion during ascent, and ignores the planet's rotation.
- Launching eastward from near the equator subtracts Earth's rotation (~0.46 km/s at equator) from needed Δv.
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