SPACE TECH & AVIONICS
Orbital Velocity & Decay Estimator
Estimate circular-orbit velocity and period, plus a local drag-driven altitude decay rate using a user-supplied atmospheric density and ballistic coefficient.
Engineering screening tool. Verify mission, manufacturer, operator, regulatory and project-specific requirements before relying on the result.
Circular orbital velocity7.589 km/s
Orbital period95.5 min
Local drag decay rate0.004538 km/day
Formula: v = sqrt(μ/r); T = 2π sqrt(r³/μ); local dh/dt ≈ -ρ r v / B where B = m/(CdA).
Method and assumptions
v = sqrt(μ/r); T = 2π sqrt(r³/μ); local dh/dt ≈ -ρ r v / B where B = m/(CdA).
Important limitations
- The decay result is a local screening rate, not a lifetime prediction. Atmospheric density changes strongly with altitude, solar activity, geomagnetic conditions, attitude and time.
- Assumes a circular Earth orbit and constant density at the entered altitude.
Technical references
Commercial independence
Any sponsored or affiliate option shown after the calculation is separate from the formula and result. PROFENG does not change assumptions, outputs or ranking of engineering results because of a commercial relationship.