Orbit Simulator
Launch a satellite into orbit, tweak values below and experiment!
Mass: 5.97e+24 kg
Radius: 6371 km
Current Altitude: km
Radial Speed: m/s
Tangential Speed: m/s
Ground Speed: m/s
Altitude (km)
Radial V (m/s)
Tangential V (m/s)
This interactive orbit simulator lets you place a satellite at a chosen altitude around Earth, give it an initial radial (toward/away from Earth) and tangential (around Earth) velocity, and watch the resulting orbit evolve. Below the controls:
- Altitude (km) – The satellite’s starting height above Earth’s surface. Enter a value between 160 km and 20000 km, or use the slider.
- Radial V (m/s) – The initial speed along the radial direction (outward from or inward toward Earth’s center). Positive pushes away; negative pulls inward.
- Tangential V (m/s) – The initial speed along the orbital path, perpendicular to radial. A positive value sends the satellite prograde (counterclockwise around Earth).
Click Launch to start the simulation. The yellow square is the satellite, and its glowing line shows the orbit path. If the satellite dips below Earth’s radius, you’ll see “Satellite Crashed!”. If it climbs beyond five times Earth’s radius, you’ll see “Satellite Escaped!”.