Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Verified for the 2027 exam
Verified for the 2027 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Definition
The minimum velocity required for a satellite to escape the gravitational pull of a central object, defined as the velocity at which the total mechanical energy of the satellite-central-object system equals zero, calculated as v_esc = √(2GM/r).