Does the international space station float?

Answer 1

We often use the casual term "floating in space", but that doesn't really describe what happens. When something floats, we think of an object of a certain density resting on the surface of a liquid with a high enough specific gravity to support the object. Think of a solid rubber ball floating in the water. The space station is above earth's atmosphere (perhaps there is an incredibly thin whisp of atmosphere that high, but if so it is negligible), and it remains in place by way of its stable orbit around the earth. It is definitely not supported in any way by any atmosphere with a different density or specific gravity. It is the gravity of earth, along with the velocity of the station and the specifics of its orbit that cause it to remain in safe orbit.