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Assuming a spacecraft is flying in a constant rate and our Astronaut will exit it to a space walk, will he be “left behind†the spacecraft?
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Lets say our Spacecraft is flying to a remote Galaxy at a constant speed of 1/X of the speed of light.
A brave Astronaut is leaving the spacecraft to a space walk, while not being attached to the spacecraft.
Should
- The Astronaut hover near the spacecraft at the same speed as it (1/X of speed of light), or
- The Astronaut will be quickly behind the spacecraft and will watch it disappear in the black horizon?
spacecraft interplanetary spacewalk
asked 2 hours ago
riorio
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up vote
3
down vote
favorite
Lets say our Spacecraft is flying to a remote Galaxy at a constant speed of 1/X of the speed of light.
A brave Astronaut is leaving the spacecraft to a space walk, while not being attached to the spacecraft.
Should
- The Astronaut hover near the spacecraft at the same speed as it (1/X of speed of light), or
- The Astronaut will be quickly behind the spacecraft and will watch it disappear in the black horizon?
spacecraft interplanetary spacewalk
asked 2 hours ago
riorio
1162
New contributor
riorio is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
Lets say our Spacecraft is flying to a remote Galaxy at a constant speed of 1/X of the speed of light.
A brave Astronaut is leaving the spacecraft to a space walk, while not being attached to the spacecraft.
Should
- The Astronaut hover near the spacecraft at the same speed as it (1/X of speed of light), or
- The Astronaut will be quickly behind the spacecraft and will watch it disappear in the black horizon?
spacecraft interplanetary spacewalk
asked 2 hours ago
riorio
1162
New contributor
riorio is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Lets say our Spacecraft is flying to a remote Galaxy at a constant speed of 1/X of the speed of light.
A brave Astronaut is leaving the spacecraft to a space walk, while not being attached to the spacecraft.
Should
- The Astronaut hover near the spacecraft at the same speed as it (1/X of speed of light), or
- The Astronaut will be quickly behind the spacecraft and will watch it disappear in the black horizon?
spacecraft interplanetary spacewalk
spacecraft interplanetary spacewalk
asked 2 hours ago
riorio
1162
New contributor
riorio is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 hours ago
riorio
1162
New contributor
riorio is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 hours ago
riorio
1162
New contributor
riorio is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 hours ago
riorio
1162
asked 2 hours ago
riorio
1162
1162
New contributor
riorio is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
riorio is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
riorio is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
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up vote
8
down vote
As long as neither spacecraft nor the astronaut are accelerating or decelerating, the relative speed of the spacecraft and the astronaut remains the same. So the astronaut will hover near the spacecraft.
The actual velocity is irrelevant here, it's the same principle with every spacewalk: the ISS is moving at about 27,600 km/h, yet the astronauts do not "get left behind" when they exit for a space walk. They, too, move at about 27,600 km/h. They do move at a very slight relative velocity when they move along the spacecraft, though.
Things change if your spacecraft is accelerating or decelerating, though: in this case the astronaut needs to remain attached to the spacecraft to not get lost. As soon as they would let go, their current velocity would remain the same but the spacecraft would continue to change its velocity and the two would get further and further apart.
answered 2 hours ago
DarkDust
4,74411943
In the case of ISS, isn't gravity producing acceleration to the station? So wouldn't the astronaut feel that the ISS is moving away from him because the earth pulls it more than the astronaut?
– papakias
1 hour ago
2
@papakias No, because gravity will pull on both the ISS and the astronaut the same. Drag will slow the ISS more rapidly due to surface area, but that effect will take hours or days to make itself obvious.
– Saiboogu
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
I feel this sort of question benefits from a series of thought experiments.
Imagine instead that you've got two astronauts, side by side, zipping through space at some constant speed.
They're kind of sweet on each other so they're holding hands. Awwwww.
But then they suffer a cruel change of heart and stop holding hands!
What do you imagine would happen?
Does anything change if one of the astronauts is much fatter than the other?
If we replace the very fat astronaut with a spacecraft, does that change anything?
(I'm asking these questions quasi-rhetorically, for the benefit of the original question-asker. No need to answer me in comments.)
answered 42 mins ago
Roger
57915
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Another way to think is to consider two space walking astronauts; one inside the ship and one outside. Neither is touching the ship, both are moving at essentially the same speed in the same direction. All three pretty much stay together.
However, there could be a teeny tiny amount of acceleration experienced by each. For example, at an extremely high velocity, even the tiny impulse caused by each interstellar proton hitting a body can cause a bit of drag. The "indoor" space walker won't experience it, and so won't be slowed at all, but the ship will, and so will the "outdoor" space walker. It's not clear which one would be affected more, it depends on their cross-sectional areas and masses.
Then there are tidal effects. If there is a distant gravitational source, and there always is, that will accelerate all three the same. But if you are fairly close to a source of gravity, then it is possible that it affects them slightly differently because they will each have a very slightly different distance from the source.
For more on that see answers to Lowest ISS microgravity and for fun see How to get sunburned through the window of a General Products hull?
And before your ship does another neutron-star flyby to accelerate so fast, remember that what humans call UV is not the only thing that gets through a General Products Hull!
answered 12 mins ago
uhoh
31.7k15109390
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
8
down vote
As long as neither spacecraft nor the astronaut are accelerating or decelerating, the relative speed of the spacecraft and the astronaut remains the same. So the astronaut will hover near the spacecraft.
The actual velocity is irrelevant here, it's the same principle with every spacewalk: the ISS is moving at about 27,600 km/h, yet the astronauts do not "get left behind" when they exit for a space walk. They, too, move at about 27,600 km/h. They do move at a very slight relative velocity when they move along the spacecraft, though.
Things change if your spacecraft is accelerating or decelerating, though: in this case the astronaut needs to remain attached to the spacecraft to not get lost. As soon as they would let go, their current velocity would remain the same but the spacecraft would continue to change its velocity and the two would get further and further apart.
answered 2 hours ago
DarkDust
4,74411943
In the case of ISS, isn't gravity producing acceleration to the station? So wouldn't the astronaut feel that the ISS is moving away from him because the earth pulls it more than the astronaut?
– papakias
1 hour ago
2
@papakias No, because gravity will pull on both the ISS and the astronaut the same. Drag will slow the ISS more rapidly due to surface area, but that effect will take hours or days to make itself obvious.
– Saiboogu
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
8
down vote
As long as neither spacecraft nor the astronaut are accelerating or decelerating, the relative speed of the spacecraft and the astronaut remains the same. So the astronaut will hover near the spacecraft.
The actual velocity is irrelevant here, it's the same principle with every spacewalk: the ISS is moving at about 27,600 km/h, yet the astronauts do not "get left behind" when they exit for a space walk. They, too, move at about 27,600 km/h. They do move at a very slight relative velocity when they move along the spacecraft, though.
Things change if your spacecraft is accelerating or decelerating, though: in this case the astronaut needs to remain attached to the spacecraft to not get lost. As soon as they would let go, their current velocity would remain the same but the spacecraft would continue to change its velocity and the two would get further and further apart.
answered 2 hours ago
DarkDust
4,74411943
In the case of ISS, isn't gravity producing acceleration to the station? So wouldn't the astronaut feel that the ISS is moving away from him because the earth pulls it more than the astronaut?
– papakias
1 hour ago
2
@papakias No, because gravity will pull on both the ISS and the astronaut the same. Drag will slow the ISS more rapidly due to surface area, but that effect will take hours or days to make itself obvious.
– Saiboogu
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
8
down vote
up vote
8
down vote
As long as neither spacecraft nor the astronaut are accelerating or decelerating, the relative speed of the spacecraft and the astronaut remains the same. So the astronaut will hover near the spacecraft.
The actual velocity is irrelevant here, it's the same principle with every spacewalk: the ISS is moving at about 27,600 km/h, yet the astronauts do not "get left behind" when they exit for a space walk. They, too, move at about 27,600 km/h. They do move at a very slight relative velocity when they move along the spacecraft, though.
Things change if your spacecraft is accelerating or decelerating, though: in this case the astronaut needs to remain attached to the spacecraft to not get lost. As soon as they would let go, their current velocity would remain the same but the spacecraft would continue to change its velocity and the two would get further and further apart.
answered 2 hours ago
DarkDust
4,74411943
As long as neither spacecraft nor the astronaut are accelerating or decelerating, the relative speed of the spacecraft and the astronaut remains the same. So the astronaut will hover near the spacecraft.
The actual velocity is irrelevant here, it's the same principle with every spacewalk: the ISS is moving at about 27,600 km/h, yet the astronauts do not "get left behind" when they exit for a space walk. They, too, move at about 27,600 km/h. They do move at a very slight relative velocity when they move along the spacecraft, though.
Things change if your spacecraft is accelerating or decelerating, though: in this case the astronaut needs to remain attached to the spacecraft to not get lost. As soon as they would let go, their current velocity would remain the same but the spacecraft would continue to change its velocity and the two would get further and further apart.
answered 2 hours ago
DarkDust
4,74411943
edited 2 hours ago
answered 2 hours ago
DarkDust
4,74411943
answered 2 hours ago
DarkDust
4,74411943
answered 2 hours ago
DarkDust
4,74411943
4,74411943
In the case of ISS, isn't gravity producing acceleration to the station? So wouldn't the astronaut feel that the ISS is moving away from him because the earth pulls it more than the astronaut?
– papakias
1 hour ago
2
@papakias No, because gravity will pull on both the ISS and the astronaut the same. Drag will slow the ISS more rapidly due to surface area, but that effect will take hours or days to make itself obvious.
– Saiboogu
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
In the case of ISS, isn't gravity producing acceleration to the station? So wouldn't the astronaut feel that the ISS is moving away from him because the earth pulls it more than the astronaut?
– papakias
1 hour ago
2
@papakias No, because gravity will pull on both the ISS and the astronaut the same. Drag will slow the ISS more rapidly due to surface area, but that effect will take hours or days to make itself obvious.
– Saiboogu
1 hour ago
In the case of ISS, isn't gravity producing acceleration to the station? So wouldn't the astronaut feel that the ISS is moving away from him because the earth pulls it more than the astronaut?
– papakias
1 hour ago
In the case of ISS, isn't gravity producing acceleration to the station? So wouldn't the astronaut feel that the ISS is moving away from him because the earth pulls it more than the astronaut?
– papakias
1 hour ago
2
2
@papakias No, because gravity will pull on both the ISS and the astronaut the same. Drag will slow the ISS more rapidly due to surface area, but that effect will take hours or days to make itself obvious.
– Saiboogu
1 hour ago
@papakias No, because gravity will pull on both the ISS and the astronaut the same. Drag will slow the ISS more rapidly due to surface area, but that effect will take hours or days to make itself obvious.
– Saiboogu
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
I feel this sort of question benefits from a series of thought experiments.
Imagine instead that you've got two astronauts, side by side, zipping through space at some constant speed.
They're kind of sweet on each other so they're holding hands. Awwwww.
But then they suffer a cruel change of heart and stop holding hands!
What do you imagine would happen?
Does anything change if one of the astronauts is much fatter than the other?
If we replace the very fat astronaut with a spacecraft, does that change anything?
(I'm asking these questions quasi-rhetorically, for the benefit of the original question-asker. No need to answer me in comments.)
answered 42 mins ago
Roger
57915
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
I feel this sort of question benefits from a series of thought experiments.
Imagine instead that you've got two astronauts, side by side, zipping through space at some constant speed.
They're kind of sweet on each other so they're holding hands. Awwwww.
But then they suffer a cruel change of heart and stop holding hands!
What do you imagine would happen?
Does anything change if one of the astronauts is much fatter than the other?
If we replace the very fat astronaut with a spacecraft, does that change anything?
(I'm asking these questions quasi-rhetorically, for the benefit of the original question-asker. No need to answer me in comments.)
answered 42 mins ago
Roger
57915
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
I feel this sort of question benefits from a series of thought experiments.
Imagine instead that you've got two astronauts, side by side, zipping through space at some constant speed.
They're kind of sweet on each other so they're holding hands. Awwwww.
But then they suffer a cruel change of heart and stop holding hands!
What do you imagine would happen?
Does anything change if one of the astronauts is much fatter than the other?
If we replace the very fat astronaut with a spacecraft, does that change anything?
(I'm asking these questions quasi-rhetorically, for the benefit of the original question-asker. No need to answer me in comments.)
answered 42 mins ago
Roger
57915
I feel this sort of question benefits from a series of thought experiments.
Imagine instead that you've got two astronauts, side by side, zipping through space at some constant speed.
They're kind of sweet on each other so they're holding hands. Awwwww.
But then they suffer a cruel change of heart and stop holding hands!
What do you imagine would happen?
Does anything change if one of the astronauts is much fatter than the other?
If we replace the very fat astronaut with a spacecraft, does that change anything?
(I'm asking these questions quasi-rhetorically, for the benefit of the original question-asker. No need to answer me in comments.)
answered 42 mins ago
Roger
57915
answered 42 mins ago
Roger
57915
answered 42 mins ago
Roger
57915
answered 42 mins ago
Roger
57915
57915
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Another way to think is to consider two space walking astronauts; one inside the ship and one outside. Neither is touching the ship, both are moving at essentially the same speed in the same direction. All three pretty much stay together.
However, there could be a teeny tiny amount of acceleration experienced by each. For example, at an extremely high velocity, even the tiny impulse caused by each interstellar proton hitting a body can cause a bit of drag. The "indoor" space walker won't experience it, and so won't be slowed at all, but the ship will, and so will the "outdoor" space walker. It's not clear which one would be affected more, it depends on their cross-sectional areas and masses.
Then there are tidal effects. If there is a distant gravitational source, and there always is, that will accelerate all three the same. But if you are fairly close to a source of gravity, then it is possible that it affects them slightly differently because they will each have a very slightly different distance from the source.
For more on that see answers to Lowest ISS microgravity and for fun see How to get sunburned through the window of a General Products hull?
And before your ship does another neutron-star flyby to accelerate so fast, remember that what humans call UV is not the only thing that gets through a General Products Hull!
answered 12 mins ago
uhoh
31.7k15109390
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Another way to think is to consider two space walking astronauts; one inside the ship and one outside. Neither is touching the ship, both are moving at essentially the same speed in the same direction. All three pretty much stay together.
However, there could be a teeny tiny amount of acceleration experienced by each. For example, at an extremely high velocity, even the tiny impulse caused by each interstellar proton hitting a body can cause a bit of drag. The "indoor" space walker won't experience it, and so won't be slowed at all, but the ship will, and so will the "outdoor" space walker. It's not clear which one would be affected more, it depends on their cross-sectional areas and masses.
Then there are tidal effects. If there is a distant gravitational source, and there always is, that will accelerate all three the same. But if you are fairly close to a source of gravity, then it is possible that it affects them slightly differently because they will each have a very slightly different distance from the source.
For more on that see answers to Lowest ISS microgravity and for fun see How to get sunburned through the window of a General Products hull?
And before your ship does another neutron-star flyby to accelerate so fast, remember that what humans call UV is not the only thing that gets through a General Products Hull!
answered 12 mins ago
uhoh
31.7k15109390
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
Another way to think is to consider two space walking astronauts; one inside the ship and one outside. Neither is touching the ship, both are moving at essentially the same speed in the same direction. All three pretty much stay together.
However, there could be a teeny tiny amount of acceleration experienced by each. For example, at an extremely high velocity, even the tiny impulse caused by each interstellar proton hitting a body can cause a bit of drag. The "indoor" space walker won't experience it, and so won't be slowed at all, but the ship will, and so will the "outdoor" space walker. It's not clear which one would be affected more, it depends on their cross-sectional areas and masses.
Then there are tidal effects. If there is a distant gravitational source, and there always is, that will accelerate all three the same. But if you are fairly close to a source of gravity, then it is possible that it affects them slightly differently because they will each have a very slightly different distance from the source.
For more on that see answers to Lowest ISS microgravity and for fun see How to get sunburned through the window of a General Products hull?
And before your ship does another neutron-star flyby to accelerate so fast, remember that what humans call UV is not the only thing that gets through a General Products Hull!
answered 12 mins ago
uhoh
31.7k15109390
Another way to think is to consider two space walking astronauts; one inside the ship and one outside. Neither is touching the ship, both are moving at essentially the same speed in the same direction. All three pretty much stay together.
However, there could be a teeny tiny amount of acceleration experienced by each. For example, at an extremely high velocity, even the tiny impulse caused by each interstellar proton hitting a body can cause a bit of drag. The "indoor" space walker won't experience it, and so won't be slowed at all, but the ship will, and so will the "outdoor" space walker. It's not clear which one would be affected more, it depends on their cross-sectional areas and masses.
Then there are tidal effects. If there is a distant gravitational source, and there always is, that will accelerate all three the same. But if you are fairly close to a source of gravity, then it is possible that it affects them slightly differently because they will each have a very slightly different distance from the source.
For more on that see answers to Lowest ISS microgravity and for fun see How to get sunburned through the window of a General Products hull?
And before your ship does another neutron-star flyby to accelerate so fast, remember that what humans call UV is not the only thing that gets through a General Products Hull!
answered 12 mins ago
uhoh
31.7k15109390
edited 26 secs ago
answered 12 mins ago
uhoh
31.7k15109390
answered 12 mins ago
uhoh
31.7k15109390
answered 12 mins ago
uhoh
31.7k15109390
31.7k15109390
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riorio is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
riorio is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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