Why can you not jump off a falling object to break your momentum?

Question

Why can you not jump off a falling object to break your momentum?

In: 1

Answer 1

You can, but your jump might accelerate you by 1 m/s or so upward. If you’re in a freefall with another object and falling 20 m/s, a jump up at the last moment means you hit the ground at 19 m/s instead, and still suffer grievous injuries or die.