Where does this come from, and can I check it?

The station falls around Earth where gravity is about 90 percent of surface strength. The figure is taken from NASA Science, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a space fact?

Yes. It sits on the Space shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Astronauts on the station are not escaping gravity

The station falls around Earth where gravity is about 90 percent of surface strength Weightlessness in orbit is free fall, not the absence of gravity. At the space station's altitude Earth still pulls with roughly 90 percent of the force felt at sea level, but the station and everything inside move sideways fast enough to keep missing the ground. Astronauts float for the same reason a pen floats in a falling lift. It sits in Mondo's space collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

NASA Science

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Tags: microgravity, freefall, orbits

Astronauts on the station are not escaping gravity: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: The station falls around Earth where gravity is about 90 percent of surface strength. The figure is taken from NASA Science, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a space fact?: Yes. It sits on the Space shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.