Ive been looking at some different claims about space travels.

Correct me if im wrong here. But i was wondering how a rocket for something - say the moon or mars, is able to keep up with earth traveling at 66,000 mph through space ?

I know how this works within the atmosphere where the air stands still in relation to earths rotating motion and its travel through space.

Is there some kind of similar "atmosphere" that travels along with the entire solar system allowing rockets to not have to travel in an excess of 66,000 mph to even keep up with earth ?
Or how does this work ?

Isaac Newton proposed his First Law of Motion, which states: "An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force." In other words, if something is moving at six miles an hour, or 66,000 miles an hour, it will keep on doing so unless some force is applied to change that speed, or its direction.

 

For us this can seem counter intuitive. If we roll a ball along the floor it stops. If we throw one through the air it goes up for a while, then comes down. But in the first case its movement is opposed by friction. In the second case gravity and air resistance are at work.

 

Does that help?

Isaac Newton proposed his First Law of Motion, which states: "An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force." In other words, if something is moving at six miles an hour, or 66,000 miles an hour, it will keep on doing so unless some force is applied to change that speed, or its direction.

 

For us this can seem counter intuitive. If we roll a ball along the floor it stops. If we throw one through the air it goes up for a while, then comes down. But in the first case its movement is opposed by friction. In the second case gravity and air resistance are at work.

 

Does that help?

 

Well not unless you mean that since earth is moving at 66,000 mph and you launch a rocket then it will already be going 66,000 mph ? Is that how it works ?

 

Or why else would a rocket be able to travel in our solar system without having to also apply the force to obtain the speed just to keep up with the solar system moving ?

Well not unless you mean that since earth is moving at 66,000 mph and you launch a rocket then it will already be going 66,000 mph ? Is that how it works ?

 

Or why else would a rocket be able to travel in our solar system without having to also apply the force to obtain the speed just to keep up with the solar system moving ?

 

A rocket is already traveling at the earth's speed when launched.

Well not unless you mean that since earth is moving at 66,000 mph and you launch a rocket then it will already be going 66,000 mph ? Is that how it works ?

 

Or why else would a rocket be able to travel in our solar system without having to also apply the force to obtain the speed just to keep up with the solar system moving ?

Consider what happens when you throw a ball. You have it in your hand which propels it forward at a certain speed. Then you let go of the ball. What happens? The ball keeps moving forward at the speed it was going when you released it. It doesn't fall straight down to the ground the instant you let go of it.(If it did, a whole lot of sports would suddenly become a lot less interesting)

Thanks. Thats what i had guessed as well but i wasnt sure.