http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16390540&postcount=26
Intuitively, you can think about the definition of escape speed: it’s the speed at a given distance from some object (say, a planet) for which the escaping object will come to rest “at infinity.” So, if you start infinitely far away from that object and begin (infinitesimally) accelerating toward it, you’ll have recovered all that gravitational potential energy by the time you reach it – i.e., you’ll be at escape speed. Thus, no matter where you start in relation to a body, you can never exceed its surface escape speed using its gravity alone.
And hearty salute to our Q.E.D. He was a good man, and a good doper, what’s better!
Glad Learjeff made that necropost - I was “this” close to making a similar one; now I won’t embarrass myself :D. Thanks Stealth Potato for the excellent explanation!
No, the force is proportional to the square of the speed. You might be thinking of the power lost to the drag.
Thanks, that does make sense, and frankly, I should have been able to come up with that myself!
Thanks for the correction. Ignorance fought!