Astronauts in an orbiting spacecraft feel "weightless" because
A) they are also massless.
B) they are too far from Earth to experience its gravity.
C) the astronauts and the spacecraft are in free-fall around Earth.
D) All of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Astronauts in an orbiting spacecraft feel "weightless" because they and the spacecraft are in free-fall around Earth. They are not massless, and they are still affected by Earth's gravity, but the sensation of weightlessness comes from the fact that they are falling towards Earth at the same rate as the spacecraft, so they don't feel any resistance or sensation of "pushing against" anything.

Astronauts in an Orbiting Spacecraft Feel "Weightless" Because