No, there is no "lift" on the space vehicles. It is NOT a balance of forces. The astronauts and vehicle are simply falling towards the Earth, but going real fast forward. Just like a ball thrown sideways will gradually curve down to the ground, if you throw it faster and faster, it goes further before hitting the ground. If you throw it superfast, as it falls, the curved Earth falls underneath it. It's then falling around the Earth.
You wouldn't really shoot yourself in the back because the Earth (and you) would have continued rotating in the 1.5 hours it would take for the bullet to go around the world. You simply wouldn't be in the same place after 1.5 hours. Good simile though for how an orbit works!
@Doctor699 Fair point, a bullet could be accelerated to those kind of speeds in orbit, with little to no air friction. But not anywhere near ground level.
@ThirdSon13 .... I don't agree!!! you and the bullet are initially are rotating with Earth.... you are both in the same reference frame.....Even when you shoot the bullet...it is still in the same frame as you..... it is like being on a boat and you throw a ball high.....the ball will take the speed of the boat....as well as the shooting speed.
If you shoot the bullet along the equator, then you could hit yourself. Anywhere else off the equator, the Earth's rotation will take you away from that bullet's orbital path. There may be a time in the future when the bullet and you meet after many orbits and rotations of the Earth.
very nice
rajraguvan 1 year ago
No, there is no "lift" on the space vehicles. It is NOT a balance of forces. The astronauts and vehicle are simply falling towards the Earth, but going real fast forward. Just like a ball thrown sideways will gradually curve down to the ground, if you throw it faster and faster, it goes further before hitting the ground. If you throw it superfast, as it falls, the curved Earth falls underneath it. It's then falling around the Earth.
ThirdSon13 2 years ago 6
Centripetal force!
JonezyKiD 2 years ago
You wouldn't really shoot yourself in the back because the Earth (and you) would have continued rotating in the 1.5 hours it would take for the bullet to go around the world. You simply wouldn't be in the same place after 1.5 hours. Good simile though for how an orbit works!
ThirdSon13 3 years ago
so if you would take in consideration all the rotations that the earth (and you) make you would be able to shoot yourself in the back?
baanty 3 years ago
If you stood around in the same spot for a couple of hours after firing the bullet, sure.
AutoPsychotic 2 years ago
@AutoPsychotic unless it is going at 27,000mph, then it will stab you in the back in 90 minutes.
Doctor699 11 months ago
@Doctor699 Fair point, a bullet could be accelerated to those kind of speeds in orbit, with little to no air friction. But not anywhere near ground level.
AutoPsychotic 11 months ago
@AutoPsychotic without an atmosphere it could travel at that altitude, but it would be going way way faster than higher orbit.
Doctor699 11 months ago
@ThirdSon13 .... I don't agree!!! you and the bullet are initially are rotating with Earth.... you are both in the same reference frame.....Even when you shoot the bullet...it is still in the same frame as you..... it is like being on a boat and you throw a ball high.....the ball will take the speed of the boat....as well as the shooting speed.
wchaya 2 years ago
If you shoot the bullet along the equator, then you could hit yourself. Anywhere else off the equator, the Earth's rotation will take you away from that bullet's orbital path. There may be a time in the future when the bullet and you meet after many orbits and rotations of the Earth.
ThirdSon13 2 years ago