Has man ever left earth's orbit?

Question

Sorry for asking a question and then answering it ... but this question was recently posted here, and I don't think anybody had the correct answer:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Av1kU2Yg39OoMXVYoQGgszYezKIX?qid=20070104212816AAclxIj

People all correctly pointed out that the Apollo missions went to the moon. But the comment was that since the moon orbited the earth, that the Apollo missions had technically never left the earth's orbit. I disagree.

It is unclear whether being in orbit around the moon is in fact also being in orbit around the earth. But I'm not talking about that.

But what is clear to me is that *while in transit* to the moon, the Apollo spacecraft was NOT in earth's orbit by any definition of the word "orbit." It had achieved escape velocity and had escaped the earth's orbit. Had the moon not been there to *decelerate* the spacecraft (and capture it in a lunar orbit), it was gone.

Anyone disagree? If so, why?

TJ wrote: "By your reasoning, anything caught between the moon and the earth would orbit around the earth, but that's not so."

That is NOT my reasoning. In fact, my argument is precisely the opposite ... that something in transit between the earth and the moon was clearly NOT in an earthbound orbit.

sarayu wrote: "Your contention that moon orbits earth and hence, it cannot be construed that man has left earth's orbit is not not convincing and cannot be accepted."

That is NOT my contention. In fact, I disagree with that contention.

My point was that the case was even more clear in the interval between leaving the earth's orbit and entering the moon's orbit ... during this interval, the spacecraft is not orbiting *either* body.

Answer 1

The earth's orbit is in close proximity to the earth. Satellites and such orbit there.

Although, yes, the moon orbits around the earth, once you leave earth's orbit, you can float off into space. If you are near the moon you can be captured by the moon's orbit. But otherwise you can float off forever.

By your reasoning, anything caught between the moon and the earth would orbit around the earth, but that's not so.

Once an object reaches escape velocity (I believe 7 miles per second) it can escape earth's orbit.

The moon and the earth have a mutual attraction, but unless you're as large as the moon (or, more precisely, have the mass of the moon) you won't be caught in earth's orbit that far out.

Answer 2

Your contention that moon orbits earth and hence, it cannot be construed that man has left earth's orbit is not not convincing and cannot be accepted. The moment one enters the moon's gravitational field, and moon being an other celestial body, for all practical purposes, it is an orbit outside the earth's orbit. Only mythological stories exist, that human beings were moving from one world to an other world (in hindu society) and may be in other ancient people.
VR

Answer 3

Man has left earths orbit, like you said they have gone to the moon. True Earths gravity is still present, but by that rationale, so is The Suns' and Jupiters' and Andromedas'...

Answer 4

Looks good except that supposedly the moon is really a chunk of earth. So...

Answer 5

yes