What is escape velocity?

What is escape velocity?

Escape velocity is the minimum speed that an object must have in order to escape the gravitational pull of a celestial body, such as a planet or a moon. It is the speed that an object must reach in order to overcome the gravitational attraction of the celestial body and continue moving away from it in a straight line, without being pulled back by gravity.

Escape velocity is determined by the mass and size of the celestial body, as well as its distance from the object. The greater the mass and size of the celestial body, the stronger its gravitational pull will be, and the higher the escape velocity will be. The escape velocity for the Earth, for example, is about 11.2 kilometers per second (40,320 kilometers per hour).

Escape velocity is an important concept in astronautics and space exploration, as it determines the energy required to launch a spacecraft from the surface of a celestial body and send it into space. To escape the gravitational pull of the Earth and enter into orbit, for example, a spacecraft must reach a speed of about 7.9 kilometers per second (28,560 kilometers per hour).

In summary, escape velocity is the minimum speed that an object must have in order to escape the gravitational pull of a celestial body, and continue moving away from it in a straight line without being pulled back by gravity. It is an important concept in astronautics and space exploration, as it determines the energy required to launch a spacecraft from the surface of a celestial body and send it into space.