Question

Why to astronauts appear weightless while they are filmed performing activities inside the orbiting space shuttle? they are high enough above the earth's surface that they have escaped the pull of earth's gravity. the space shuttle has anti-gravity devices on it that allow the astronauts to float inside it. the astronauts are falling at the same rate as the space shuttle as it orbits around earth. orbiting objects do not experience any gravity?

Answer 1

If we see the forces on the astronauts then there is only one force on each astronaut while they are in air.

This force is due to gravity of earth.

Now while the astronauts are in air and doing some activities then the net force on them is counterbalanced on them by centrifugal force.

so we can say the rate of fall of astronauts due to gravity is at same rate as the orbiting rate of the space shuttle.

this is given by

$w^2R = g$

so all astronauts will experience the situation of free fall.