Convert Feet per Minute to Orbital Speed (ISS)

Convert Feet per Minute (ft/min) to Orbital Speed (ISS) (v_orb) instantly and accurately.

Feet per Minute (ft/min)
Orbital Speed (ISS) (v_orb)

Conversion Formula

v_orb = ft/min × 6.631853786e-7

About Feet per Minute

A foot per minute (ft/min) = 5.08 × 10⁻³ m/s - the US standard for elevator speed, HVAC duct velocity, and conveyor speed. Residential lifts: 100-200 ft/min; commercial 200-400 ft/min; skyscraper express lifts 1,000-3,000 ft/min (Burj Khalifa 2,953 ft/min). HVAC low-velocity ductwork: 500-1,000 ft/min; medium-velocity 1,000-2,200 ft/min. Paper machine Fourdrinier wires: 200-6,000 ft/min. 1 ft/min = 0.00508 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

Feet per Minute (ft/min)Orbital Speed (ISS) (v_orb)
1 ft/min6.632 × 10-7 v_orb
2 ft/min1.326 × 10-6 v_orb
5 ft/min3.316 × 10-6 v_orb
10 ft/min6.632 × 10-6 v_orb
25 ft/min1.658 × 10-5 v_orb
50 ft/min3.316 × 10-5 v_orb
100 ft/min6.632 × 10-5 v_orb

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