Cosmic Velocity - Second to Kilometer per Minute

The second cosmic velocity (Earth's escape velocity) is approximately 11,200 m/s (11.2 km/s), the minimum speed to escape Earth's gravity completely.

v₂ = √(2GM/r) = √2 × v₁ ≈ 11.2 km/s. Exactly √2 times the first cosmic velocity.

To km/h: × 3,600. To mph: × 25,000. 11.2 km/s = 40,320 km/h = 25,053 mph.

Moon missions, Mars missions, deep space probes (Voyager, New Horizons), and any mission leaving Earth's gravity well.

Apollo missions: ~11.2 km/s. Voyager probes: exceeded v₂ to leave solar system. New Horizons: launched at record 16.26 km/s (fastest ever from Earth).

Thinking you need this speed everywhere — you only need it at launch. In space, much less Δv is needed.

~11 km/s to escape Earth. √2 × orbital velocity. Remember: orbit ≈ 8 km/s, escape ≈ 11 km/s.

Kilometer per minute measures how many kilometers are traveled in one minute. It's a less common but useful speed unit for high-speed contexts.

1 km/min = 60 km/h = 16.667 m/s. There are 60 minutes in an hour.

To km/h: × 60. To m/s: × 16.667. To mph: × 37.28.

Describing meteor speeds, high-speed rail in casual conversation, or military projectile velocities.

Earth's orbital speed: 1,800 km/min. Escape velocity: 40 km/min. Fastest manned aircraft (X-15): 6.7 km/min.

Confusing with km/h — 1 km/min is 60 times faster than 1 km/h, not the same.

Easy conversion: km/min × 60 = km/h. Example: 2 km/min = 120 km/h. Useful for mental math with fast speeds.