One For The Space Nuts.

[BWST]

Just watching Discovery Channel, and a series called " When We Left Earth "

This particular series is about the space shuttle. Can someone explain this to me.

Showing an astronaut, doing an EVA, or spacewalk. Out from the shuttle, with a jet pack. No tethered line or anything.

Now if the shuttle is orbiting the earth in space at so many thousands of miles an hour, how the hell wasn't that astronaut lost in an instant.

It looked like the shuttle was standing still while he buzzed around it ........to my reckoning, as soon as he left that vehicle, at that speed, he would have been lost in a blink of an eye.

Any explanations ?

 

[scooterb]

If he left the space shuttle and was not attached to it, he would still be travelling at the same speed as the rocket because there is no air resistance to slow him down.
Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[BWST]

If he left the space shuttle and was not attached to it, he would still be travelling at the same speed as the rocket because there is no air resistance to slow him down.
Correct me if I'm wrong.

Your on the money i think scooterb Even though the shuttle is doing mega speeds, orbiting the Earth, it's almost as if it's standing still, due to no gravity or resistance.

And that little astronaut was actually orbiting the shuttle !!

 

[Tony_Clifton]

Similar to playing table tennis on a train.

 

[BomberGal]

Your on the money i think scooterb Even though the shuttle is doing mega speeds, orbiting the Earth, it's almost as if it's standing still, due to no gravity or resistance.

And that little astronaut was actually orbiting the shuttle !!

The shuttle is constantly falling towards earth.

My answer would have been similar...he has the same momentum as the shuttle.

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

Think about it, its the same as on Earth really. When you jump out of a moving train, you hit the ground parrallel to where you jumpd from. You keep travelling at the same speed until an outside force acts upon you, (in this case, the ground).

But yeah, the guy who mentioned nothing being able to slow him down, that makes sense as well, never really thought about it that way.

 

[Niximus]

Any explanations ?

Yes, Newton's first law of motion.

 

[scooterb]

Yes, Newton's first law of motion.

I've forgotten most of my physics..
1st law refers to inertia?
2nd or 3rd refers to every action has an equal an opposite reaction.
blah blah etc..

 

[Niximus]

I've forgotten most of my physics..
1st law refers to inertia?
2nd or 3rd refers to every action has an equal an opposite reaction.
blah blah etc..

First law is inertia,

Second law is F=ma and derivitives thereof

Third law is the every action equal and opposite etc