2007-11-14 21:53:54 · 12 answers · asked by JUSTii :) 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
What some of the other people are saying is correct. It's not that there is no gravity when they are in the shuttle or station, it's that the astronauts are trapped in a constant free-fall around the Earth at 17,500 miles per hour. If there was no gravity, the moon wouldn't be held in Earth's orbit, nor would anything beyond Earth be held in the Sun's orbit.
There is a Bill Nye video that we show here about gravity to demonstrate it for the kids. If you are able to find it, it really does explain a lot for people who might not understand the official scientific explanations.
A side note, you wouldn't believe how many people come to JSC and ask where the anti-gravity room is. There really is no anti-gravity room on earth. The only way that we are able to simulate weightlessness is by flying the C-9 or "Vomit Comet" (which is actually an American plane, not Russian).
2007-11-15 07:12:09 · answer #1 · answered by head in the clouds... 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Ok, it's not that there is no gravity, it's just that they're travelling around the earth so fast they are counter-acting the gravity, sort of like a free fall but there is no ground to hit. Just like that Russian plane they use to practice in, it goes up then dips so fast the people inside are weightless for a few minutes. A lot of people think it's because there is no gravity but that's only if you get a lot further away. Earth's gravity is strong enough to pull you back when you're just in orbit so you have to counter act the pull with an orbit that pulls you away from the Earth. Sorry if it's a little hard to understand...
2007-11-15 06:13:24 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's because they are in "free fall" at the same velocity as their ship.
For all the other posters-Gravity does exist in space, however, the amount of "pull" any object (including the astronauts & their ship) exerts depends on the mass of the object & the distance from the object. Force of gravity decreasing as distance increases.
Free fall is just that. While in orbit, the astronauts & their ship are literally falling! However, they are falling forward at the same speed they are falling downward (about 17000 mph!),
2007-11-15 11:07:18 · answer #3 · answered by Monkeyboi 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most people think it is because there is no gravity in space. This is not true; if it were they would not stay in orbit.
The reason they "float" is because gravity is moving the ship around the Earth in orbit. But it is also making them move aroudn the Earth at the same speed. As such, they are not moving relative to each other. You only feel gravity if you are accelerating, so there is no gravity in the ship.
2007-11-15 05:56:54 · answer #4 · answered by Bob B 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
the one reason that astronauts are floating when they are in the Space Shuttle/Space Station is because that the shuttle and/or station is free falling down towards earth all the time, however, the forward speed of the orbit is the same or slightly faster than the rate of free fall (around 17,500 miles per hour), thus keeping the astronauts and their "ship" in orbit around the earth.
2007-11-15 15:29:42 · answer #5 · answered by mcdonaldcj 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
actually no astronaut can fly in theri space ship until and unless they are in space (ha ha ha ha ha)
anyway actually they dont fly its simply that there is no force stopping them if they are standing they wont float...
newton once said "a body in rest will remain in rest and a body in motion will remain in motion until and unless an external force acts on it" so its simple, we have gravity(source of force) when on earth but thats not the case in space.
2007-11-15 06:09:47 · answer #6 · answered by dr. know all 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Lack of gravity
2007-11-15 05:55:58 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
No Gravity force thats all
2007-11-15 06:02:08 · answer #8 · answered by Romeo 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
because there is no gravity pull from the earth
2007-11-15 05:57:16 · answer #9 · answered by fatdadslim 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
No gravity, go to science class and you would know this.
2007-11-15 05:55:38 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋