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
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
SuperGlobalCalculator is independently built and maintained. See how we build and verify our calculators.