Why do astronauts float in space?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: They're falling with the ship
They're falling with the ship ✓ — Correct! Astronauts and their spacecraft are constantly falling toward Earth but moving sideways fast enough to keep missing it—that's orbit! Everything falls together at the same rate, creating weightlessness. It's like being in a falling elevator!
No gravity exists in space — Wrong. Gravity exists everywhere in space. The ISS experiences 90% of Earth's surface gravity. Astronauts float because they're in free fall.
Ship engines cancel gravity — Wrong. Engines aren't constantly running. The spacecraft and crew are in continuous free fall together.
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