Space
Astronauts Aren't Floating. They're Falling
Astronauts look weightless, but gravity up there is nearly as strong as on the ground. The Short explains that they and the station are falling together, which is why they float. They also travel sideways so fast that Earth curves away beneath them as quickly as they drop, and that endless fall is an orbit.
The numbers
- Gravity at the space station is still about 90% as strong as on the ground.
- Orbiting requires moving sideways at about 8 km every second.
Sources cited in the video: NASA · NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
