Launch a projectile and watch orbital mechanics unfold — elliptic, parabolic, or hyperbolic
Adjust sliders and click Launch
Escape velocity is v_esc = √(2GM/r). For Earth: ~11.2 km/s. Below v_esc the path is an ellipse (Kepler orbit); at exactly v_esc it's a parabola; above, a hyperbola. All three are conic sections — unified by energy: E = ½mv² − GMm/r. If E < 0: ellipse. E = 0: parabola. E > 0: hyperbola. Conservation of angular momentum L = mr×v keeps orbits planar.