39. Can we float in space? (A K2S Question)

From The Space Library

You bet! Since the ISS is actually in a free fall path around the Earth called an orbit, everything inside the spacecraft is also falling at the same rate. We think of it as being weightless and it allows astronauts and any objects not tied down within the spacecraft to float freely. The closest the astronauts can describe it is to imagine being in a swimming pool where your weight is counterbalanced by the water and you can propel yourself through the pool with easy arm strokes and leg kicks. This is exactly what it feels like in space but without the water. And it does take some time to get used to moving in this environment. You have to be very careful to be sure you do not give yourself too much of a kick off the side of a bulkhead so you do not collide with another astronaut or worse, bop your head into a wall! It still hurts when that happens in space!

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Answer provided by Jim Zebrowski

Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer

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