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Astronauts seem weightless in orbit because they are in a state of free fall, along with their spacecraft. As the spacecraft moves forward at high speed, it simultaneously falls toward Earth due to gravity. However, because it's also moving horizontally, it keeps missing Earth, creating a continuous free-fall loop. This condition results in a sensation of weightlessness for the astronauts inside.

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Why does astronauts appear weightless in their earth orbiting space craft?

Astronauts appear weightless in their Earth-orbiting spacecraft because both the spacecraft and the astronauts are in a state of free fall towards Earth. While the spacecraft is moving forward at a high velocity, it is also falling towards the planet due to gravity. This continuous free fall creates a condition known as microgravity, where the effects of gravity are still present but are not felt by the astronauts, making them seem weightless relative to their surroundings.


Are astronauts on the moon weightless?

No, astronauts on the moon are not weightless. They have weight due to the moon's gravitational pull, which is about 1/6th of Earth's gravity. This means they experience a lesser force of gravity compared to Earth, allowing them to move more easily on the lunar surface.


Where can you go in a zero gravity chamber?

There is no such thing as a zero gravity chamber. The only way to experience weightlessness is in freefall. There are planes that you can board which will go into dives up to 30 seconds long. During these dives the planes are in freefall. Since you are falling at the same rate as the plane is, you will seem to float around the cabin and will feel weightless. It is the same reason that astronauts in orbit are weightless.


What is a feeling of being weightless?

A feeling of being weightless often refers to a sensation of lightness and freedom, akin to floating or gliding without the constraints of gravity. This experience can occur in various contexts, such as during moments of joy, exhilaration, or even in physical situations like swimming or skydiving. It evokes a sense of liberation, where worries and stress seem to dissipate, allowing for a profound connection to one's surroundings or emotions.


Why do orbiting spacecrafts seem weightless?

Orbiting spacecraft appear weightless because they are in free fall towards Earth while simultaneously moving forward at a high velocity. This state of free fall creates a condition known as microgravity, where both the spacecraft and its occupants are falling together at the same rate, resulting in the sensation of weightlessness. Essentially, they are continuously falling around the Earth rather than straight down, creating the illusion of floating.

Related Questions

Why does astronauts appear weightless in their earth orbiting space craft?

Astronauts appear weightless in their Earth-orbiting spacecraft because both the spacecraft and the astronauts are in a state of free fall towards Earth. While the spacecraft is moving forward at a high velocity, it is also falling towards the planet due to gravity. This continuous free fall creates a condition known as microgravity, where the effects of gravity are still present but are not felt by the astronauts, making them seem weightless relative to their surroundings.


Are astronauts on the moon weightless?

No, astronauts on the moon are not weightless. They have weight due to the moon's gravitational pull, which is about 1/6th of Earth's gravity. This means they experience a lesser force of gravity compared to Earth, allowing them to move more easily on the lunar surface.


Where can you go in a zero gravity chamber?

There is no such thing as a zero gravity chamber. The only way to experience weightlessness is in freefall. There are planes that you can board which will go into dives up to 30 seconds long. During these dives the planes are in freefall. Since you are falling at the same rate as the plane is, you will seem to float around the cabin and will feel weightless. It is the same reason that astronauts in orbit are weightless.


Why do astronauts feel weightless while in orbit?

Astronauts in orbit are weightless, but not because they are beyond the pull of earth's gravity. If the moon, roughly 240,000 miles away, is within the influence of earth's gravity, so is an astronaut just a few miles up in comparison. Astronauts are weightless because they are in orbit, and being in orbit can be thought of very roughly as a special kind of freefall. They are held by gravity, but they are also moving along a path that keeps them from descending appreciably during their flight. If you remember clips you have seen of astronauts in the space station, floating freely, you can see how futile it would be to try to 'stand' on an ordinary house scale to measure how 'heavy' they are in pounds. But if you could sling an astronaut around on a kind of mass-measuring centrifuge (not too fast, of course) you would see that they are maintaining a healthy mass. Weight and mass are different measures, even if they seem to be indistinguishable on the earth's surface.


Why do astronauts seem to fly inside their spacecraft?

because of unavailability of gravity.


Do astronauts seem comfortable in space suits?

Yes space suits are comfortable because of the padding in the suits.


Where there is no gravity in space then why planets revolving around the sun in a fix orbit?

There is gravity in space. Planets are gravitationally attracted to the sun, which is why they remain in orbit around the sun. There is a phenomenon that we see in orbit that is sometimes called weightlessness, although that is a misleading term. Free fall is a more accurate term. An orbiting object (or astronaut) is still being gravitationally attracted to the Earth, but because of the orbital velocity, does not actually fall to the Earth but orbits around it instead. Instead of falling downward, such objects are effectively falling in a circle (or elliptical path). They seem to be weightless but they do still have weight.


Which best explains what a scene is?

A section of a story in which events seem to be happening - Apex


What hypothesis by alfred wegener explains why contients seem to fit together?

They all fit together like a puzzle.


Which best explains the term imaginative leap?

A way of making emotional sense out of of ideas that might not seem logical


Were else can you find gravity but earth?

Yes. Gravity exists everywhere in the universe as all objects have a gravitational pull. Objects in space do not seem weightless because there is no gravity. Rather they seem weightless because they are in freefall.


In paragraph 4 which detail explains why the backpack is easy to carry?

C. The way the backpack slides makes it seem lighter.