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escape velocity
Sign in to saveAlso known as escape speed, second cosmic velocity, second escape velocity
minimum speed needed for an object to escape the gravitational influence of a primary body
Escape velocity is the minimum speed an object needs to travel to break free from a planet or star's gravitational pull and never fall back to it. It matters because it determines whether rockets can reach space, whether atmospheres can be retained by planets, and how we understand the motion of objects throughout the universe.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
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Encyclopedic overview
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Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “escape velocity” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.
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