Orbital Velocity Calculator
Orbital Velocity Calculator
How It Works
Input the mass (kg) and radius (m) of a celestial body, along with the altitude (m) of the orbit above its surface, using the keypad or keyboard. The calculator will compute the orbital velocity (m/s) required for a circular orbit at that altitude. Click “Calculate” to see the result. Share or embed the calculator using the provided buttons.
Orbital Velocity Calculator
Mass (kg)
Radius (m)
Altitude (m)
Result
Steps
About Orbital Velocity Calculator
The Orbital Velocity Calculator determines the speed required for an object to maintain a circular orbit around a celestial body at a specified altitude above its surface.
How to Use
- Enter the mass (kg) of the celestial body (e.g., 5.972 × 10²⁴ kg for Earth).
- Enter the radius (m) of the celestial body (e.g., 6.371 × 10⁶ m for Earth).
- Enter the altitude (m) of the orbit above the surface (e.g., 400 × 10³ m for a low Earth orbit).
- Click “Calculate” to compute the orbital velocity. The page will scroll to the result.
- Click “Clear” to reset the inputs and results.
- Click “Share” to copy the calculator’s URL to your clipboard.
- Click “Embed” to copy an iframe code for embedding on another website.
- The result and calculation steps will be displayed.
Formula
v_o = sqrt(GM / (r + h))
Where:
- v_o = orbital velocity (m/s)
- G = gravitational constant (6.67430 × 10⁻¹¹ m³ kg⁻¹ s⁻²)
- M = mass of the celestial body (kg)
- r = radius of the celestial body (m)
- h = altitude above the surface (m)
Important Notes
- Mass, radius, and altitude must be positive numbers.
- Values can be entered in scientific notation (e.g., 5.972e24 for 5.972 × 10²⁴).
- The keypad’s Clear button clears the active input field.
- “Share” and “Embed” buttons require a browser that supports the Clipboard API.
- Results assume a circular orbit and a non-rotating, spherical body with no atmospheric drag.