Convert Furlong per Fortnight to Orbital Speed (ISS)
Convert Furlong per Fortnight (fur/fn) to Orbital Speed (ISS) (v_orb) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
v_orb = fur/fn × 2.171142608e-8
About Furlong per Fortnight
A furlong per fortnight (fur/fn) is a deliberately archaic unit equal to exactly 201.168 ÷ 1,209,600 m/s ≈ 1.663 × 10⁻⁴ m/s - just slightly faster than a garden snail at full creep. One furlong (one-eighth of a mile = 201.168 m) and one fortnight (14 days = 1,209,600 s) are both perfectly legitimate historical measures, but their combination is cherished in physics teaching as a cautionary example of needlessly exotic unit choices. Expressing kinetic energy in kg·fur²/fn² or force in kg·fur/fn² illustrates instantly why the SI was universally adopted. The unit appears in satirical physics papers, recreational mathematics columns, and Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels as the native velocity unit of magical phenomena. The speed of light expressed in furlongs per fortnight is approximately 1.803 × 10¹² fur/fn. Snails travel at roughly 0.5-1 fur/fn; strong tidal rip currents reach 100-200 fur/fn. 1 fur/fn ≈ 1.663 × 10⁻⁴ m/s ≈ 0.599 km/h ≈ 0.372 mph.
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
| Furlong per Fortnight (fur/fn) | Orbital Speed (ISS) (v_orb) |
|---|---|
| 1 fur/fn | 2.171 × 10-8 v_orb |
| 2 fur/fn | 4.342 × 10-8 v_orb |
| 5 fur/fn | 1.086 × 10-7 v_orb |
| 10 fur/fn | 2.171 × 10-7 v_orb |
| 25 fur/fn | 5.428 × 10-7 v_orb |
| 50 fur/fn | 1.086 × 10-6 v_orb |
| 100 fur/fn | 2.171 × 10-6 v_orb |