Planetary Escape Velocity Calculator
Calculate the escape velocity of any planet, moon, or body.
Compare to Earth's 11.2 km/s.
Supports built-in presets and custom mass and radius.
Escape Velocity
Escape velocity is the minimum speed an object needs to escape a body’s gravitational pull without additional propulsion — it assumes an instant initial velocity (like a cannon shot, not a rocket).
Formula:
v_esc = √(2GM / R)
Where:
- G = 6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ N·m²/kg²
- M = mass of the body (kg)
- R = radius of the body (m)
Planetary escape velocities:
| Body | Escape Velocity |
|---|---|
| Mercury | 4.25 km/s |
| Venus | 10.36 km/s |
| Earth | 11.19 km/s |
| Moon | 2.38 km/s |
| Mars | 5.03 km/s |
| Jupiter | 59.5 km/s |
| Saturn | 35.5 km/s |
| Uranus | 21.3 km/s |
| Neptune | 23.5 km/s |
| Sun | 617.5 km/s |
Key points:
- Escape velocity does not depend on the direction of launch (any direction works, ignoring atmosphere)
- Rockets don’t need to achieve escape velocity instantly — they thrust continuously, which is actually more efficient
- The Moon’s low escape velocity (2.38 km/s) explains why it has no significant atmosphere
- A black hole’s escape velocity equals or exceeds c (speed of light)
- Earth’s escape velocity (11.19 km/s) equals about Mach 32.6 at sea level conditions