Could you catch a bullet in space after a gun has discharged? Do guns operate the same with little to no gravity?
In: Physics
First question: would a gun fire in the vacuum of space? I believe so. I believe the saltpeter in gunpowder is an oxidizer. I am not sure what they use for this, but the explosive bolts they use to separate used stages from a rocket works on this principle.
Second question: Could you catch a bullet in space? This totally depends on your relative velocities. If you and the shooter are traveling at the same velocity, then no. If you are traveling away from the shooter with sufficient speed, it should be possible. Of course it is tremendously difficult to get two bodies on a rendezvous course without doing some math or using other tricks. The bullet might be going the right speed, but if the orbit’s not right it will pass you too far to reach.
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