Escape Velocity Calculator
The escape velocity from Earth’s surface is 11.1861 km/s, from vₑ = √(2GM/R), about 40,270 km/h.
11.1861356913891 km/s
Full answer, then cut to fewer decimals (not rounded):
- 11.1861356913891 km/s
- 11.186135691389 km/s
- 11.18613569138 km/s
- 11.1861356913 km/s
- 11.186135691 km/s
- 11.18613569 km/s
- 11.1861356 km/s
- 11.186135 km/s
- 11.18613 km/s
- 11.1861 km/s
- 11.186 km/s
- 11.18 km/s
- 11.1 km/s
- In m/s
- 11186.13569 m/s
- In km/h
- 40270.08849 km/h
- In mph
- 25022.6729 mph
- Circular orbit speed at the surface √(GM/R)
- 7.909792403 km/s
- Surface gravity GM/R²
- 9.820250487 m/s²
Step-by-step solution
- vₑ = √(2GM ÷ R)
- vₑ = √(2 × 398600441800000 m³/s² ÷ 6371000 m)
- vₑ = 11186.13569 m/s = 11.18613569 km/s
Escape Velocity Formula
vₑ = √(2GM / R)
G gravitational constant, M mass of the body, R distance from its centre (the radius at the surface)
Worked Example
Escaping Earth from its surface (GM = 3.986004418 × 10¹⁴ m³/s², R = 6371 km):
- vₑ = √(2GM ÷ R)
- vₑ = √(2 × 398600441800000 m³/s² ÷ 6371000 m)
- vₑ = 11186.13569 m/s = 11.18613569 km/s
In km/h: 40270.08849 km/h · In mph: 25022.6729 mph · Circular orbit speed at the surface √(GM/R): 7.909792403 km/s · Surface gravity GM/R²: 9.820250487 m/s²
Why GM and not G × M
Spacecraft tracking measures the product GM far more precisely than G or M alone, so the calculator uses the IAU/JPL GM values for named bodies and G × M only for custom ones.
More Gravitation and Orbits Calculators
-
Orbital Velocity Calculator
v = √(GM / r), T = 2π √(r³ / GM)
r = R + altitude, the distance from the body’s centre; GM the gravitational parameter
Example: The International Space Station about 420 km above Earth: Orbital speed v = 7.66129 km/s.
Frequently asked questions
Does escape velocity depend on the mass of the rocket?
No: the rocket’s mass cancels. Any object launched at 11.19 km/s from Earth’s surface escapes, ignoring air resistance.
How does it compare with orbital speed?
Escape velocity is √2 times the circular orbit speed at the same distance: about 7.9 km/s to orbit just above Earth’s surface versus 11.2 km/s to leave.
Sources
- CODATA Recommended Values of the Fundamental Physical Constants: 2018, National Institute of Standards and Technology .
- Planetary Fact Sheet, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center .
Last reviewed: . Factors are stored exactly and computed with 50-digit decimal arithmetic. See how we verify conversion factors.
Cite this page
APA
Scientific Converters. (2026, October 15). Escape Velocity Calculator. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://scientificconverters.com/calculators/escape-velocity-calculator/
IEEE
Scientific Converters, "Escape Velocity Calculator," scientificconverters.com. Accessed: Oct. 25, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://scientificconverters.com/calculators/escape-velocity-calculator/