# A question about orbits and speed

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-orbits-and-speed/644231>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 16, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-orbits-and-speed/644231 "2012-12-16T23:48:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-orbits-and-speed/644231/21 "2012-12-19T21:09:34Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Of course orbital and escape velocities are different things, but they are closely related (possibly just off by a constant ratio ??)

Escape speed at any height is equal to sqrt(2) times the circular orbital speed at that height.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-orbits-and-speed/644231/22 "2012-12-19T21:37:08Z")

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Well, then. . . by my \*calculations, then, if we could just get the moon moving about a thousand miles per hour faster, we could push it out of orbit and send it cue-balling somewhere else in the solar system. So what do we aim for?

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-orbits-and-speed/644231/23 "2012-12-20T00:23:39Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> So what do we aim for?

Sedna. Get the collision just right, and we could get it plummeting down _into_ the inner solar system, where we can get it to wreak havoc with yet another body, and so on.

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**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-orbits-and-speed/644231/24 "2012-12-20T02:24:45Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> Sedna. Get the collision just right, and we could get it plummeting down _into_ the inner solar system, where we can get it to wreak havoc with yet another body, and so on.

Mimas, bank off Tethys, corner pocket…

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**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-orbits-and-speed/644231/25 "2012-12-20T03:41:50Z")

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> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#):
>
> So what do we aim for?

Good question. There’s a hot babe out there somewhere that can turn into different animals, but I think we may have missed the launch window already. Pity about the sideburns, too.

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