How to use the orbital velocity calculator
Find the orbital speed and period of a satellite. Enter central body mass, altitude, body radius in the fields above; the orbital speed, orbital period are computed instantly and plotted on the chart so you can see how the answer changes.
Formula
Variables
- M — Central body mass (kg)
- h — Altitude (km)
- R — Body radius (km)
Worked example
With central body mass = 5.9722e24 kg, altitude = 400 km, body radius = 6371 km, the calculator gives orbital speed ≈ 7.672619 km/s; orbital period ≈ 92.41401 min.
Frequently asked questions
What is the formula for the orbital velocity calculation?
Orbital speed (km/s) = √(GCONST × M / ((R+h) × 1000)) / 1000. Orbital period (min) = 2 × π × (R+h) × 1000 / ([Orbital speed] × 1000) / 60. Here M is central body mass (kg), h is altitude (km), R is body radius (km).
What inputs do I need for the orbital velocity calculator?
You need central body mass in kg, altitude in km, body radius in km. Each field is pre-filled with a typical example so you can see how the result responds as you edit the numbers.
How do I use this calculator?
Type values into the input fields. Results and the chart update instantly. Use Reset to restore the example values, Copy results to paste them elsewhere, or Share to copy a link that preserves your inputs.
Is the result exact?
Calculations use standard formulas and double-precision arithmetic, then display about seven significant figures. Real-world measurements carry uncertainty, so treat results as estimates unless your inputs are exact.