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Why did the Apollo astronauts not fall off the moon?
You’ve seen films of the APOLLO astronauts walking around on the Moon, why didn’t they fall off? About 20 percent of the people changed their answer to the first question when they heard this one! But the most amazing part was that about half of them confidently answered, “Because they were wearing heavy boots.”
Why do astronauts appear weightless Despite being near the earth?
Astronauts float around in space because there is no gravity in space. Everyone knows that the farther you get from Earth, the less the gravitational force is. Well, astronauts are so far from the Earth that gravity is so small. This is why NASA calls it microgravity.
Why are astronauts weightless on the way to the moon?
The Apollo astronauts on their way to and from the Moon were still in an Earth orbit, still “falling around Earth.” When close to the Moon, they fell under its gravitational tug and entered lunar orbit, thus falling around our natural satellite in the same way. In each case, astronauts experience free fall.
Why do astronauts have zero gravity problems?
In the absence of gravity there is no weight load on the back and leg muscles, so they begin to weaken and shrink. In some muscles degeneration is rapid, and without regular exercise astronauts may lose up to 20 percent of their muscle mass within 5-11 days.
Is there 0 gravity on the moon?
Many people believe that the Moon does not have any gravity. The Moon’s surface gravity is about 1/6th as powerful or about 1.6 meters per second per second. The Moon’s surface gravity is weaker because it is far less massive than Earth.
How did the Apollo astronauts get to the Moon?
To get to the moon and safely back home, the Apollo astronauts not only had to cross the Van Allen belts, but also the quarter of a million miles between the Earth and the moon – a flight that typically took around three days each way. They also needed to operate safely while in orbit around the moon and on the lunar surface.
What is the feeling of the greatest gravitational pull in space?
In the case of space travel, the feeling of greatest gravitational pull will be while leaving the Earth or the Moon, or returning to either one, during the ascent and descent stages. During these stages the astronauts will experience much more than the 1G felt on Earth’s surface. During orbit the astronaut feels weightless due to “fr…
How do astronauts stay hydrated on the Moon?
By Apollo 14, the lunar suits had an in-built drinking device that in the following mission would also include food bars in the suit neck. This enabled astronauts to keep up their fluid and calorie intake on the Moon.
What are the dangers of Apollo missions to Earth?
During the Apollo missions, the spacecraft were outside the Earth’s protective magnetosphere for most of their flight. As such, they and their crews were vulnerable to unpredictable solar flares and events and the steady flux of galactic cosmic rays.