SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/astro-earth-escape-velocity
About what is escape velocity from Earth's surface, ignoring air resistance?
About 11 kilometers per second.
- 1.1 kilometers per second
- 110 kilometers per second
- 11 kilometers per second ✔
Why: Escape velocity is the minimum ideal launch speed whose kinetic energy can overcome Earth's gravitational binding. It depends on the body's mass and launch radius, not the escaping object's own mass.
Huh, didn't know that: The Sun's surface escape velocity is about 618 kilometers per second.
Escape velocity is what happens when speed needs some space.
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References
Answer: 11 kilometers per second. Escape velocity is the minimum ideal launch speed whose kinetic energy can overcome Earth's gravitational binding. It depends on the body's mass and launch radius, not the escaping object's own mass.
- Black Holes openstax.org/books/astronomy-2e/pages/24-5-black-holes
with a velocity less than 11 kilometers per second will soon fall back to Earth’s surface.
Checked 2026-10-10.
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