Convert Centimetres per Second to Orbital Speed (ISS)
Convert Centimetres per Second (cm/s) to Orbital Speed (ISS) (v_orb) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
v_orb = cm/s × 1.305483029e-6
About Centimetres per Second
A centimetre per second (cm/s) is 10⁻² m/s - the speed of slow animals, gentle breezes, and lab syringe pumps. Tortoises travel 0.5-1.5 cm/s; the fastest garden snail record is ~1.3 cm/s. A gentle breeze that barely moves leaves is Beaufort 1 ≈ 50-100 cm/s. Drug-delivery syringe pumps run 0.01-10 cm/s. Coarse silt settles in still water at ~0.2 cm/s (Stokes' law). Capacitive touch sensors detect finger motion at 1-10 cm/s. 1 cm/s = 0.01 m/s.
About Orbital Speed (ISS)
The ISS orbits at ~408 km altitude at ≈7,660 m/s (27,576 km/h) - the practical LEO benchmark. At this speed it completes one orbit in 92.68 min (15.5 orbits per day), giving astronauts 16 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours. Delta-v to reach LEO from Earth's surface is ~9,400 m/s (with gravity and drag losses). GEO at 35,786 km requires only ~3,075 m/s per Kepler's third law. 1 ISS speed ≈ 7,660 m/s.
Quick Reference Table
| Centimetres per Second (cm/s) | Orbital Speed (ISS) (v_orb) |
|---|---|
| 1 cm/s | 1.305 × 10-6 v_orb |
| 2 cm/s | 2.611 × 10-6 v_orb |
| 5 cm/s | 6.527 × 10-6 v_orb |
| 10 cm/s | 1.305 × 10-5 v_orb |
| 25 cm/s | 3.264 × 10-5 v_orb |
| 50 cm/s | 6.527 × 10-5 v_orb |
| 100 cm/s | 0.000130548 v_orb |