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The ISS, and astronaut inside the ISS, and an astronaut who just left the ISS to do a spacewalk are all orbiting the earth like Newton's cannonball. They are all moving together, like the passenger on the train who seems to be motionless when you video him from inside the train, but he's not motionless.
originally posted by: turbonium1
Another point -
If an astronaut would fall toward Earth if he was outside, unattached to the ISS, in orbit, why don't astronauts INSIDE the ISS fall inside the ISS, where it is closest to the Earth below? It is the very same principle. One in the craft, one outside the craft, should BOTH fall towards Earth.
This makes no sense.
originally posted by: Arbitrageur
The ISS, and astronaut inside the ISS, and an astronaut who just left the ISS to do a spacewalk are all orbiting the earth like Newton's cannonball. They are all moving together, like the passenger on the train who seems to be motionless when you video him from inside the train, but he's not motionless.
originally posted by: turbonium1
Another point -
If an astronaut would fall toward Earth if he was outside, unattached to the ISS, in orbit, why don't astronauts INSIDE the ISS fall inside the ISS, where it is closest to the Earth below? It is the very same principle. One in the craft, one outside the craft, should BOTH fall towards Earth.
This makes no sense.
Felix Baumgartner however was not orbiting the earth when he jumped, and to leave the ISS and return to earth the astronauts need to stop their orbital motion so they can get back down to Earth.
Do you understand the problem now?
originally posted by: turbonium1
So what about the ISS? If you would fall toward Earth outside the ISS, like you would outside a plane, then what should happen when you are inside the ISS? You should be held towards the floor of the ISS, same as you are in the plane, assuming that the floor of the ISS is also the closest point to Earth, like in the plane.
Do you understand the problem now?
originally posted by: moebius
a reply to: turbonium1
Do you understand the problem now?
Yes, your problem is your ignorance.
If a plane would fall towards earth with you on board, you would be floating inside of it. But this floating perception comes from the fact that both you and the plane are falling.
The same applies to the astronauts, they are falling together with the space station.
originally posted by: joelr
originally posted by: turbonium1
So what about the ISS? If you would fall toward Earth outside the ISS, like you would outside a plane, then what should happen when you are inside the ISS? You should be held towards the floor of the ISS, same as you are in the plane, assuming that the floor of the ISS is also the closest point to Earth, like in the plane.
Do you understand the problem now?
Like Moebius said they are not floating because of lack of gravity. The space station is constantly falling towards Earth but it's forward speed plus their height above Earth is enough that they keep falling around the curve of the Earth.
The forces cancel out so they float.
It's exactly what is predicted by gravitational equations and it's exactly what we see happen. On a large non-quantum scale the predictions of gravity work incredibly well.
If a plane were to fall you would also float. If you made a plane that could withstand being 250 miles up and get up to 17,000 mph then you could continue to fall around earth. Except it would technically then be a spaceship.
Wow page 400!
originally posted by: dragonridr
a reply to: turbonium1
No a plane will act exactly like the ISS if it falls towards the ground. The ISS is in constant free fall because its speed causes it to miss the earth. The velocity of the space station actually causes the earth to curve away from the ISS making it impossible to hit the ground.
When a plane gets altitude and flys towards the earth it becomes weightless as well.
Easiest way to understand whats happening is a bullet. A bullet fired follows an arc. The faster a bullet goes the longer it takes to hit the ground. If you put enough speed in a bullet you could get the bullet to miss the earth all together.
originally posted by: dragonridr
a reply to: turbonium1
Simple planes fly according to instruments. Those instruments were designed to tell them how far above ground level they are.
They maintain a level course from ground you must think the earth is really small. Because its size ant passenger in a plane doesnt see the arc they are actually making. Have you actually ever seen an airline path traced on a map. Did you ever wonder why the path is curved on the map?