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officialmanojsh
An astronaut on a revolving space station releases a wooden spoon out of the satellite, into empty space. Will the spoon fall toward Earth ? What will happen next ?
wabbit said:If released at zero relative velocity, it will orbit earth, staying at a constant distance from the station.
Well, tidal forces mean differential gravity. So if the spoon is released below the station it will be moving marginally too slow for a circular orbit, which should give it a slightly elliptical orbit with a periodic movement relative to the station I guess. But if released at the same height as the center of gravity of the station, this tidal force is just the difference required for it to orbit at a constant distance on the same path.DrStupid said:I would say the distance will either decrease due to the gravity of the station and the tidal forces of Earth or it will increase due to the tidal forces of Earth, but I'm to lazy to calculate it.
wabbit said:Well, tidal forces mean differential gravity. So if the spoon is released below the station it will be moving marginally too slow for a circular orbit, which should give it a slightly elliptical orbit with a periodic movement relative to the station I guess. But if released at the same height as the center of gravity of the station, this tidal force is just the difference required for it to orbit at a constant distance on the same path.
The path of an object dropped from the ISS will follow a parabolic trajectory due to the combined effects of the Earth's gravity and the object's initial velocity.
The object will initially fall at a speed of approximately 7.66 kilometers per second (4.76 miles per second) due to the ISS's orbital velocity. However, as it falls, it will accelerate due to the Earth's gravity.
Yes, air resistance will affect the path of an object dropped from the ISS, causing it to slow down and deviate from its ideal parabolic trajectory. However, this effect will be more significant for larger and less aerodynamic objects.
The time it takes for an object to reach the ground will vary depending on its initial velocity, size, and shape, as well as the atmospheric conditions. However, on average, it will take around 10 minutes for an object to reach the ground.
The object will most likely land in the ocean, as 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by water. However, it is also possible for it to land on land, depending on the trajectory, atmospheric conditions, and other factors.