1. What is Orbital Velocity?

Orbital velocity is the minimum velocity needed for an object to maintain a stable orbit around a celestial body. It depends on the mass of the central body and the distance from its center.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the orbital velocity equation:

Where:

• \( v \) — Orbital velocity (m/s)
• \( G \) — Gravitational constant (6.67430 × 10⁻¹¹ m³/kg·s²)
• \( M \) — Mass of the central body (kg)
• \( r \) — Orbital radius from center of mass (m)

Explanation: The equation balances gravitational force with the centripetal force required for circular motion.

3. Importance of Orbital Velocity

Details: Calculating orbital velocity is essential for satellite deployment, space mission planning, and understanding celestial mechanics.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the mass of the central body (e.g., Earth = 5.972 × 10²⁴ kg) and the orbital radius (distance from center). All values must be positive.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's Earth's orbital velocity at 400 km altitude?
A: Using Earth's mass (5.972 × 10²⁴ kg) and radius (6,371 km + 400 km), the velocity is approximately 7,670 m/s.

Q2: How does velocity change with altitude?
A: Velocity decreases as altitude increases because gravitational force weakens with distance.

Q3: What's the difference between orbital and escape velocity?
A: Escape velocity is √2 times greater than orbital velocity and allows an object to leave orbit entirely.

Q4: Does this work for elliptical orbits?
A: This equation gives circular orbit velocity. For elliptical orbits, velocity varies throughout the orbit.

Q5: What units should I use?
A: Use kilograms for mass and meters for distance to get velocity in meters per second.