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No one knows more about gravity, or the lack of it, than Michael Foale. He has spent over 180 days in space on Mir, the space shuttle and the International Space Station. While on board Mir in 1997, a cargo ship the size of a bus hit the space station and nearly killed the crew. They had to spend some time in the dimly lit station with little oxygen. But they all survived and Michael Foale has returned to space many times since then. When on board the space station Michael Foale still is affected by the pull of gravity. The space station and everything in it is falling towards the Earth, but because it is moving really fast to the side it keeps missing – so they are not in danger of crashing into the planet. It is like being inside a falling lift – Michael Foale doesn’t feel any gravity at all and is weightless. So not only do things close to the Earth feel gravity pulling them towards the centre so do things which are really far away, like the International Space Station and the Moon.
Image Find out more how gravity affects the planets. Have a look at the history of gravity and some activities and quizzes to try out. Go Back to Curriculum Table |