---
title: "Why Do Astronauts Float in the ISS if Earth’s Gravity Still Reaches It?"  
description: "Why Do Astronauts Float in the ISS if Earth’s Gravity Still Reaches It?"  
author: "Ryan Parker"  
published: 2026-10-18  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/117813/why-do-astronauts-float-in-the-iss-if-earth-s-gravity-still-reaches-it  
category: "Mix Category"  
tags: ["Space", "international space station", "Orbital Mechanics"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# Why Do Astronauts Float in the ISS if Earth’s Gravity Still Reaches It?

I understand that the International Space Station is only a few hundred kilometres above Earth, where gravity is still substantial. Yet astronauts and loose objects float inside it.

People explain this by saying the station is in **continuous free fall**. I can picture a falling lift briefly making its occupants feel weightless, but I get stuck on how the ISS keeps falling without reaching the ground.

How does its sideways motion change the situation? And when scientists use the term **microgravity aboard the ISS**, are they describing a weaker gravitational pull or the conditions experienced by objects inside the station?

A clear explanation using gravity, orbital speed, and what a scale would measure would help more than simply calling space “zero gravity.”


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Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/117813/why-do-astronauts-float-in-the-iss-if-earth-s-gravity-still-reaches-it

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