How high must one be above the Earth's surface to experience zero gravity, i.e., at what altitude could a person float around in a spacecraft without effort?
Question #50614. Asked by Arpeggionist.
Last updated Sep 02 2016.
peasypod
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peasypod 20 year member
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I'm pondering the concept of Newton's inverse-square law of universal gravitation...
(At an altitude of 200 miles, according to Newton's inverse-square law of universal gravitation, gravity is just 10% weaker than it is at the Earth's surface. "Weightlessness" and "zero gravity" describe an astronaut's sensation in orbit, but the conditions under which an astronaut floats about within a spacecraft would be better described as free fall.)