Escape velocity refers to the minimum speed required for an object to break free from the gravitational pull of a celestial body and not fall back. It’s determined by the mass and radius of the body and follows a specific formula based on Newton’s law of universal gravitation. For Earth, this velocity is around 11.2 kilometers per second (about 33 times the speed of sound), meaning any object reaching or surpassing this speed at the surface can leave Earth’s gravitational influence without additional propulsion. Escape velocity is a crucial concept in space exploration, guiding spacecraft design and trajectory calculations for missions aiming to leave a celestial body’s gravitational field, like probes sent to other planets or spacecraft leaving Earth’s orbit.