by BMAONE23 » Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:50 pm
Part of it has to deal with orbital speed. When in space, you aren't weightless so much as constantly falling. The Earths' surface gravity is reduced to about 90% at the ISS but since you are moving at 17000 mph, you are traveling the same distance that the earth would cause you to fall in the same ammount of time. You are really Falling around the Earth. So if max. freefall velocity from gravity is 8 miles per second, you need to be traveling at 8 miles per second to achieve orbit.
Part of it has to deal with orbital speed. When in space, you aren't weightless so much as constantly falling. The Earths' surface gravity is reduced to about 90% at the ISS but since you are moving at 17000 mph, you are traveling the same distance that the earth would cause you to fall in the same ammount of time. You are really Falling around the Earth. So if max. freefall velocity from gravity is 8 miles per second, you need to be traveling at 8 miles per second to achieve orbit.