how can satellites and space ships stay orbiting around the Earth if our planet is moving at very high speeds across the universe?

Question

how can satellites and space ships stay orbiting around the Earth if our planet is moving at very high speeds across the universe?

In: 0

Answer 1

Speed is relative in space.

You’re moving 0mph relative to the Earth’s surface.

You’re moving 200-1000mph relative to the Earth’s core though because it’s rotating.

You’re moving 67,000mph around the sun

You’re moving 450,000mph around the galactic core

You’re moving 1,300,000mph relative to the other galaxies nearby

So when we say a satellite is orbiting the Earth, we’re talking about its motion relative to Earth. All those other reference points are the same for both the earth and the satellite so they don’t really matter.