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Satellite Orbital Period Calculator

Period of a circular orbit from altitude (Kepler's 3rd).

Compute the orbital period of a satellite in a circular orbit around a chosen body (Earth, Moon, Mars) from its altitude above the surface using Kepler's third law.

Dr. Helena Ortiz By Dr. Helena Ortiz
Published Last reviewed 1 min read

Inputs

km

Results

Enter values and click Calculate to see results.
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How to use this calculator

  1. Fill in the inputs above using the units you already have.
  2. Values update automatically as you type — no submit button needed.
  3. Hover any result row for the underlying formula and intermediate values.

Formula

T = 2π · √(a³ / (G · M)), a = R_body + altitude.

In depth

Compute the orbital period of a satellite in a circular orbit around a chosen body (Earth, Moon, Mars) from its altitude above the surface using Kepler's third law.