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The Velocity of Circular Orbit is the speed at which a body must travel to maintain a stable circular orbit around a celestial body. It represents the precise orbital velocity required to balance gravitational pull with centrifugal force.
The calculator uses the circular orbit velocity formula:
Where:
Explanation: This formula calculates the orbital velocity needed to maintain a circular orbit at a given distance from Earth's center, where gravitational force provides the necessary centripetal force.
Details: Accurate orbital velocity calculation is crucial for satellite deployment, space mission planning, orbital mechanics analysis, and ensuring spacecraft maintain stable orbits around Earth.
Tips: Enter the orbit radius in meters. The value must be greater than Earth's radius (approximately 6,371,000 meters) for valid orbital calculations.
Q1: What is Earth's Geocentric Gravitational Constant?
A: It's the product of Earth's mass and the gravitational constant (G × M_earth), valued at 3.986004418 × 10¹⁴ m³/s², representing Earth's gravitational parameter.
Q2: How does orbit radius affect orbital velocity?
A: Orbital velocity decreases as the orbit radius increases. Satellites in higher orbits move slower than those in lower orbits.
Q3: What is a typical orbital velocity for Low Earth Orbit?
A: For Low Earth Orbit (160-2,000 km altitude), orbital velocities typically range from about 7.7 km/s to 7.9 km/s.
Q4: Can this formula be used for other celestial bodies?
A: Yes, but you must use the appropriate gravitational parameter (GM) for the specific celestial body instead of Earth's value.
Q5: Why is circular orbit velocity important for satellites?
A: Maintaining the correct orbital velocity ensures satellites stay in their designated orbits without drifting away or falling back to Earth, which is essential for communication, weather monitoring, and other satellite functions.