Why do astronauts float if gravity still exists?
Explain it like I'm 16
Astronauts in orbit float because they and their spacecraft are falling together around Earth. Gravity is still acting on them.
A real-world example
Imagine a lift in free fall: a loose object and the passengers would fall together, so the object would appear to float relative to them. This is only an illustration, not a situation to recreate.
Example 1 of 1
Common misunderstanding
Space does not begin at a boundary where Earth’s gravity suddenly disappears. Gravity helps keep spacecraft in orbit.
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