Calculate the minimum speed required to escape the gravitational pull of any planet, moon, or star. Select a preset or enter custom values.
Escape velocity is the minimum speed an object must reach to break free from a planet's gravitational pull without any further propulsion. Once an object reaches this speed, gravity can no longer pull it back — it will continue moving outward forever (ignoring other forces).
A planet twice as massive will have a higher escape velocity. But a planet with the same mass compressed into a smaller radius will also have a higher escape velocity — because you start closer to the centre of gravity. This is why black holes have escape velocities exceeding the speed of light.