Even though astronauts look like they’re floating, they’re actually constantly falling toward Earth—just like the water in a bucket if you swing it. The difference is they’re moving forward so fast that they keep missing the ground. That’s what we call orbit—and it’s exactly how astronauts on missions like Artemis II travel through space.
To stay in orbit, spacecraft from NASA have to move incredibly fast—about 17,000 miles per hour around Earth. During Artemis II, astronauts used that speed to leave Earth’s orbit and head toward the Moon, showing how mastering orbit is the first step to exploring deeper space.
In orbit, astronauts experience microgravity, which makes it seem like there’s no gravity—but really, everything is falling together. Just like the water stays in the bucket when I spin it, astronauts float inside their spacecraft. After Artemis II safely returned to Earth, scientists used what they learned about microgravity to prepare for even longer missions—like going back to the Moon and eventually Mars.
For more cool science facts or to sign up for summer camps visit mosi.org
