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stanwal
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I am a historian[ PhD] who specializes in the History of Science and consequently reads a great deal of physics. Since my childhood I have been fascinated by space travel and have always read that the escape velocity from the Earth's gravational field is 25000 mph. I recently read a book in which a very prominent physicist declared that this figure was an idealization and because of air resistance the actual velocity was much higher. I must admit that this has me totally puzzled. I can understand that air resistance would make the achieving of escape velocity more difficult but considering the extreme thinness of the upper atmosphere and that the Earth's gravational pull is a constant quantity I would think that the escape velocity is the escape velocity and not a higher figure , let alone a much higher figure. Am I missing something someone with rigorous training in Physics would spot at once ? Is the escape velocity from Earth really higher than 25000 mph and if so how much? Thanks, SW
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