Convert Kilometres per Hour to Orbital Speed (ISS)
Convert Kilometres per Hour (km/h) to Orbital Speed (ISS) (v_orb) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
v_orb = km/h × 3.626341746e-5
About Kilometres per Hour
A kilometre per hour (km/h) = 1/3.6 m/s - the universal road speed unit across most of the world. Walking pace ~5-6 km/h; jogging 9-12 km/h; elite marathon runners average 20-21 km/h. High-speed rail (TGV, Shinkansen, ICE) 250-350 km/h; TGV record 574.8 km/h. Category 5 hurricane ≥252 km/h; Thrust SSC land speed record 1,228 km/h (Mach 1.02). 1 km/h = 0.2778 m/s = 0.6214 mph = 0.5400 kn.
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
| Kilometres per Hour (km/h) | Orbital Speed (ISS) (v_orb) |
|---|---|
| 1 km/h | 3.626 × 10-5 v_orb |
| 2 km/h | 7.253 × 10-5 v_orb |
| 5 km/h | 0.000181317 v_orb |
| 10 km/h | 0.000362634 v_orb |
| 25 km/h | 0.000906585 v_orb |
| 50 km/h | 0.00181317 v_orb |
| 100 km/h | 0.00362634 v_orb |