- #1
LydiaJ
- 15
- 5
I understand that if there is a body in a circular orbit around the Earth (or any other thing), and there is an impulse directed radially out away from the Earth against the orbiting body, the body will end up in an elliptical orbit, which will pass through the original circular orbit. This got me thinking about the ISS again. I'm not sure why I have been thinking about it so much recently. I guess learning leads to questions, which leads to more learning, which leads to questions...
If an astronaut is standing on the outward facing side of the ISS, and jumps up (away from the Earth), they will now be in an elliptical orbit. When the astronaut crosses paths with the ISS again it will be at the same point at the same time? Meaning, will the astronaut come back down to the same spot they jumped up from?
Also, it seems like the two orbits (the original circular orbit, and the new elliptical orbit), will always cross at two points on opposite sides of the Earth. So if the astronaut jumps up a little they will slowly drift up away from the ISS, and then slowly back down after one half of an orbit. And if they spring up with a really violent impulse they will go really far out, but still come back down, and intersect at the same point they would have intersected had the jumped very gently. Is that correct?
If an astronaut is standing on the outward facing side of the ISS, and jumps up (away from the Earth), they will now be in an elliptical orbit. When the astronaut crosses paths with the ISS again it will be at the same point at the same time? Meaning, will the astronaut come back down to the same spot they jumped up from?
Also, it seems like the two orbits (the original circular orbit, and the new elliptical orbit), will always cross at two points on opposite sides of the Earth. So if the astronaut jumps up a little they will slowly drift up away from the ISS, and then slowly back down after one half of an orbit. And if they spring up with a really violent impulse they will go really far out, but still come back down, and intersect at the same point they would have intersected had the jumped very gently. Is that correct?