When calculating the velocity of a satellite orbiting a planet, the factor that is not needed is the mass of the satellite itself. The velocity depends primarily on the mass of the planet (or central body), the gravitational constant, and the radius of the orbit (distance from the center of the planet to the satellite). The satellite's own mass cancels out in the derivation of the orbital velocity formula and thus does not influence the orbital speed. Key factors needed to calculate satellite velocity include:

• The gravitational constant (G)
• The mass of the central body (planet)
• The radius of the satellite's orbit (distance from the center of the planet)

The formula for the orbital velocity vvv of a satellite is:

v=GMRv=\sqrt{\frac{GM}{R}}v=RGM​​

where GGG is the gravitational constant, MMM is the mass of the planet, and RRR is the orbital radius. The satellite mass does not appear in this formula and is not needed for velocity calculation.