Satellite Orbit Calculator
Calculate orbital velocity for a satellite.
About Satellite Orbit Calculator
Orbital velocity for Satellite Orbit is set by the central mass and the orbit's radius, and the period follows directly from that speed. Geostationary orbits work because at one specific altitude the period matches Earth's rotation exactly.
Formula
Satellite Orbit
v = sqrt(GM/r); T = 2*pi*r/v
- orbit
- A stable circular orbit balances gravity against the orbital speed
Worked example
With the default values below, Satellite Orbit Calculator returns Orbital Velocity of 2,869.2. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Central body massminimum 0 kg
- 5,970,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg
- Altitudeminimum 0 m
- 42,000,000 m
- Body radiusminimum 0 m
- 6,400,000 m
Results
- Orbital Velocity
- 2,869.2 m/s
- Orbital Period
- 105,991 s
- Orbital Period
- 29.44 h
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Satellite Orbit
- 3Orbital Velocity= 2,869.2 m/s
- 4Orbital Period= 105,991 s
- 5Orbital Period= 29.44 h
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Satellite Orbit calculated?
v = sqrt(GM/r); T = 2*pi*r/v Orbital velocity for Satellite Orbit is set by the central mass and the orbit's radius, and the period follows directly from that speed.
Why does Satellite Orbit matter?
Geostationary orbits work because at one specific altitude the period matches Earth's rotation exactly.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 3 inputs: Central body mass, Altitude, Body radius. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.