The British physicist Isaac Newton, while studying gravity and how celestial bodies work, discovered that if a cannonball reached a speed of 7.9 km/s, it could break free from Earth's gravitational pull and orbit the planet as an artificial satellite.

The reason why everything on Earth remains grounded is due to gravity's attraction, which keeps objects tethered to the planet's surface.

In theory, surpassing 7.9 km/s, known as the first cosmic speed, allows anything on Earth to escape into space, like modern carrier rockets.

But can a rocket escape Earth's gravity and reach space with just a 1-meter-per-second speed? The answer is affirmative.

The rocket's high velocity depends on its propulsion method and fuel. It aims to achieve maximum acceleration in the shortest possible time before fuel depletion. For chemical-powered rockets today, reaching 7.9 km/s is a crucial milestone.

In the future, if humanity masters anti-gravity technology or constructs a space elevator, rockets could achieve a steady, slow ascent at 1 meter per second without subjecting passengers to high acceleration. This would drastically change space travel dynamics.

Even in the absence of anti-gravity, a powerful enough engine with a high thrust-to-weight ratio could allow a launch vehicle to gradually overcome gravity and enter space at a slower speed. With a robust rocket, it could even burrow through Earth and emerge into space.

Current space travel relies on rockets, which operate similarly to pedaling a bicycle uphill - they start with maximum speed and then maintain it. It would be impractical to pedal a bicycle uphill while starting slowly.

Likewise, if a rocket's initial speed isn't fast enough and it wants to break free from Earth, it must continually counteract Earth's gravity with strong thrust.

If an engine could provide a substantial thrust for an extended duration, even a 1 m/s rocket could leave Earth, although it would require a massive amount of fuel.

Suppose you want to launch a satellite into Earth's orbit. The rocket will be launched, and when it reaches a specific distance from Earth, it will release the satellite.

The reason this satellite stays in orbit is that it retains the momentum energy it gained when the rocket propelled it in one direction, while Earth's gravity pulls it in another. The balance between gravity and momentum keeps the satellite in orbit around Earth.

Satellites in orbits close to Earth experience the strong gravitational pull of our planet. To stay in orbit, they must travel faster than satellites in orbits farther from Earth.

The International Space Station orbits Earth at an altitude of about 250 miles, moving at a speed of approximately 17,150 miles per hour.