HD Felix Baumgartners space jump

[SpontaneousOrder]

Oh dear -



No it will not. Both objects shall hit the ground at the same time for as long as they occupy the same gravitational field.

You can't talk about shooting bullets horizontally and dropping stones while assuming that they will 'occupy the same gravitational field'. BUT... if we assume that differences in gravitational field strength are negligible up to very high altitudes, then you're still wrong.

Drop a stone from felix's balloon, and shoot another at high speed horizontally. Suppose no atmosphere (a vacuum) for simplicity. Are you telling me both will hit the ground at the same time?

[KentPhilip]

You can't talk about shooting bullets horizontally and dropping stones while assuming that they will 'occupy the same gravitational field'. BUT... if we assume that differences in gravitational field strength are negligible up to very high altitudes, then you're still wrong.

Drop a stone from felix's balloon, and shoot another at high speed horizontally. Suppose no atmosphere (a vacuum) for simplicity. Are you telling me both will hit the ground at the same time?

If you also ignore the curvature of the earth then yes.

[scooterscot]

Which Hits The Ground First?

Here you go,

[SpontaneousOrder]

If you also ignore the curvature of the earth then yes.

Which wouldn't make any sense when it was the mechanics of achieving orbit which sparked the discussion in the first place.

If 'sideways' motion had no effect the the astronauts would fall like stones fro the sky straight down to their deaths.

[EternalOptimist]

Here you go,

no one is arguing with this.

but what happens if you throw one sideways, or up ?

[SpontaneousOrder]

Here you go,

Ok, fine. My troll sense is weak today.

[KentPhilip]

Which wouldn't make any sense when it was the mechanics of achieving orbit which sparked the discussion in the first place.

If 'sideways' motion had no effect the the astronauts would fall like stones fro the sky straight down to their deaths.

Yes indeed.
I guess the point is that if you fire a bullet horizontally from Baumgartners's capsule, that bullet will be going at, say, 1000mph. Which is much less than the 16,000 mph that it would require to stay in orbit. At 1000mph the effect of the curvature of the earth would be there, but small, resulting in the bullet hitting the ground a little later than the object dropped stationary, but not by very much (again assuming zero air resistance).

[SpontaneousOrder]

Yes indeed.
I guess the point is that if you fire a bullet horizontally from Baumgartners's capsule, that bullet will be going at, say, 1000mph. Which is much less than the 16,000 mph that it would require to stay in orbit. At 1000mph the effect of the curvature of the earth would be there, but small, resulting in the bullet hitting the ground a little later than the object dropped stationary, but not by very much (again assuming zero air resistance).

Muzzle velocity of the SA-80 is 940 meters per second if I remember right, so just over half a mile per second.
So from felix's height that makes about 50 miles + any extra for earth's curvature (i.e. hardly any difference as you say). About 30 feet.

**edit** that is - 30 feet extra drop, over a 50-ish mile horizontal flight.