Gravitational force in space shuttle orbit · CAP 2003 #6
Physics · mechanics
Problem
On the ground, the Earth exerts a force F0 on an astronaut. The force that the Earth exerts on this astronaut inside the Space Shuttle in low Earth orbit, 300 km above the ground, is
(a) a little less than F0;
(b) a little more than F0;
(c) exactly F0;
(d) zero, since the astronaut is weightless when in orbit.