escape velocity
Gravity-breaking threshold
Escape velocity is the minimum speed an object must reach to break free from a celestial body's gravitational pull without further propulsion.
For Earth, this is about 25,000 miles per hour.
The term extends figuratively to any threshold needed to break free from a constraining situation: The startup finally reached escape velocity and no longer needed outside funding.
Curved celestial path
- spacecraftVehicle for outer space
- rocketPropulsion-driven spacecraft
- propulsionForce driving movement forward
- launchSet into motion
satellite · gravity well · delta-v · thrust · booster · mission control · space probe · lunar
Sudden important advance
- breakawaySudden separation from group
- liberationRelease from constraint
- momentumProduct of mass, velocity
- thresholdPoint of beginning
tipping point · critical mass · liftoff · launch · trajectory · orbit · freedom · transcendence
Attractive force between masses
- orbital mechanicsScience of celestial motion
- kinetic energyPower from movement
- Newton's lawsThree motion axioms
- gravitational slingshotMomentum borrowed from orbiting bodies
rocket equation · acceleration · threshold · two-body problem · conservation of energy
orbit
Curved celestial path
- spacecraftVehicle for outer space
- rocketPropulsion-driven spacecraft
- propulsionForce driving movement forward
launch · satellite · gravity well · delta-v · thrust · booster · mission control · space probe · lunar · interplanetary
breakthrough
Sudden important advance
- breakawaySudden separation from group
- liberationRelease from constraint
- momentumProduct of mass, velocity
threshold · tipping point · critical mass · liftoff · launch · trajectory · orbit · freedom · transcendence · achievement
gravitational pull
Attractive force between masses
- orbital mechanicsScience of celestial motion
- kinetic energyPower from movement
- Newton's lawsThree motion axioms
gravitational slingshot · rocket equation · acceleration · threshold · two-body problem · conservation of energy
- motionmotion, movement, speed, momentum, acceleration
- spacespace, sun, moon, stars, star
- speedspeed, quickness, rate, pace, swiftness
- gravitygravity, graviton, gravity well, gravitational pull, gravity wave
- spaceflightlaunch, astronaut, spacecraft, liftoff, orbit
- speed termsacceleration, speedometer, momentum, average speed, constant speed
escape velocityorbital velocity
Speed maintaining circular path
orbital speed · terminal velocity · collision course · deceleration
escape, escaped, escapes, escaping, velocity, escapism, inescapable, escapist, escapable