system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: why is there a minimum velocity to escape an object's gravity? Can't an object going at a steady 1 mile per hour escape earth's gravity?
gpt
Escape Velocity is how fast an un-powered object needs to be moving.  If the object can generate thrust, there's no minimum speed.

Bear in mind that the gravity that you are trying to leave will be slowing you down.  So if you throw an object up at less than the escape velocity, it's speed will slow to zero, and then start to fall back.