01. Will we be orbiting clockwise or counterclockwise? (A K2S Question)

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Well, it depends on which way you look. If you are at the South Pole and you look north, it looks as if the Space Station is orbiting clockwise. If you are at the North Pole, it would be the opposite. How do we decide which way to orbit? It is all about physics and being efficient. The Earth is turning slowly on its axis, and we launch in the direction it is turning in order to take advantage of the extra momentum we get from its rotation!

Answer provided by Col. USAF Catherine Coleman, Ph.D.


Image:K2S logosmall.jpg Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer


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