Flying in Space


From the IMAX® film, Destiny in Space.
©1994 Smithsonian Institution/Lockheed Martin Corporation.
All rights reserved.

Space is nearly a perfect vacuum; beyond Earth's atmosphere there is no air to produce lift or drag. Gravity is the main force to be dealt with in space, and thrust is the force that allows a spacecraft to get into space and maneuver.

Is There Gravity in Orbit?
How Do Newton's Laws of Motion Apply to Spacecraft?
How Do Kepler's Laws of Orbital Motion Apply to Spacecraft?
Moving About in Space


(Rev. 09/18/96)