JEE — Gravity in OrbitHardQuestion 30657
Question
An astronaut in a space station orbiting Earth at height h feels weightless because:
- AThere is no gravity in space
- BThe gravitational force is zero at that height
- CBoth astronaut and station are in free fall with the same accelerationCorrect
- DThe station moves too fast for gravity to act
Correct answer
Both astronaut and station are in free fall with the same acceleration
Explanation
In orbit, both the astronaut and station accelerate toward Earth at the same rate (centripetal acceleration = g at that height). There is no relative acceleration between them → apparent weightlessness. Gravity is very much present.