The acceleration due to gravity serves as the centripetal acceleration of the objects that orbits the Earth. The centripetal acceleration due to gravity is calculated through the equation,
a = v²/r
where v is the speed and r is the radius. Substituting the known values to the equation,
9.8 m/s² = (420 m/s)² / r
The value of r from the equation is 18000 m or equal to 18 km.
Answer: 18 km