Deimos's Near-Surface Gravity Turns Orbit into Racewalking Pace
New measurements show Deimos’s tiny gravity makes a circular orbit just above its surface about 14.2 km/h, while about 20.1 km/h would let you escape local gravity—speeds comparable to elite racewalking and a modest sprint. The result highlights how movement on this small, irregular moon blends running, hopping, and orbital dynamics, with three-body effects, surface gravity variations, and a tiny Hill sphere limiting practical options. Real missions would require navigation margins, anchors, tethers, or small propulsion, not a simple two-body burn, and direction and terrain matter due to Deimos’s rotation and irregular shape.
