SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/space-gravity

Is there zero gravity in space where the space station orbits?

No, there is strong gravity. The station is just falling fast enough to miss the Earth.

  1. Yes, there is no gravity in space
  2. No, they are just falling constantly ✔
  3. Yes, because there is no air

Why: Gravity up there is almost as strong as on Earth. But the station is moving sideways so fast that as it falls, the Earth curves away beneath it.

Huh, didn't know that: This constant freefall is what makes the astronauts float around inside the ship.

The dad joke
Why did the cow go to outer space? To visit the milky way.
Like this card?
Play the game

Sources

  1. NASA: What Is Microgravity? https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/for-kids-and-students/what-is-microgravity-grades-k-4/

Test yourself in the game

How Things WorkWhy is it hotter in the summer and colder in the winter?How Things WorkWhat happens if you leave a penny on a railroad track and a train hits it?How Things WorkDoes water flush down the toilet in the opposite direction in Australia?

That's stuff everyone should know.