How is it the ISS can travel at 17,400 MPH, but astronauts seem unaffected at all?

Question

EDIT: Thank you all for your kind yet informative responses!

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Answer 1

**ALL** Movement is relative. When you say that something is traveling at such and such mph, for it to make any sort of sense you have to specify what you’re measuring relative to. Typically in normal conversation we don’t explicitly specify what we’re measuring relative to, and it’s always heavily implied that it’s relative to the surface of the earth, and that’s what is being referenced for the 17,400mph speed of the ISS. However, relative to the astronauts, it’s essentially not moving. It’s the same reason you can sit in a car traveling fast and be unaffected by the speed of the car.