<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/jLJzf.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/jLJzf.jpg" alt="what &quot;flying sideways&quot; looks like" /></a></p>
<p>Imagine a vehicle like the dragon capsule, but the chair is on the bottom and facing forward, and the thrusters are directly behind it as illustrated above. When flying in space towards some planet, can the astronauts tell they're facing down and flying not forward relative to the direction they're facing?</p>
<p><em>Edit</em></p>
<p>To add clarity, my question is not about the logistics of space travel, but the physics of the drawing. Assuming a craft like the one above, with thrusters on or off, the craft flying in the direction of the arrow, and the astronaut sitting as depicted... Would he/she be able to tell that they're flying &quot;headfirst&quot; as opposed to the traditional concept of &quot;forward&quot; like you would when flying an airplane?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-18T00:39:45.153Z
What do you mean by "facing _down_"? There's no up and down in open space. If the thrusters are working, they produce acceleration which will with some force press the astronauts to the floor to which the chair is attached, so in this case the direction to the floor and opposite to "forward" will be "down". Is this the situation you mean?
Yellow Sky
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-18T02:11:11.410Z
In space, can you *define* "flying sideways"?
Brian Tung
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-18T03:14:13.120Z
@BrianTung the OP has just done so. In the image "FW" indicates "forward" i.e. the defined direction of travel in this example. The occupant's upper body and head is facing "sideways" i.e. perpendicular to this direction of travel.
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-18T03:19:08.190Z
I've boosted the contrast of your drawing for clarity, it's an interesting question, I'm curious why you chose Astronomy SE instead of Space Exploration SE though.
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-18T03:41:21.023Z
Thrusters aren’t generally used to propel the capsule *forward*. If any thruster is being used, the occupant will know which way it’s thrusting because they will “fall” in the opposite direction. If it’s thrusting sideways, they’ll “fall” away from the direction of thrust.
Chappo Hasn't Forgotten
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-18T09:58:22.703Z
FWIW, with current rocket technology, we don't use thrusters during the whole journey. They're only used at take-off, and for short burns to modify the craft's orbit (and for landings on airless worlds, like the Moon). For most of the journey to (for example) Mars, the craft is in free-fall.
PM 2Ring
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-19T04:46:56.033Z
When you're in deep space and the engine is firing, the *upwards* direction is the one you marked as "FW". When the engine is off, there is no sense of up or down because you're in free-fall, so you feel weightless.
PM 2Ring
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-19T10:01:38.467Z
This is just a physics question, but it has been asked and answers so many times that one loses count.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-19T10:02:12.293Z
I’m voting to close this question because this is a duplicate of multiple questions on physics.
James K
<gravity>
In space, can you tell that you're flying sideways?
rodrigo-silveira
# In space, can you tell that you're flying sideways?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-07-17)

[![what ](https://i.sstatic.net/jLJzf.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/jLJzf.jpg)

Imagine a vehicle like the dragon capsule, but the chair is on the bottom and facing forward, and the thrusters are directly behind it as illustrated above. When flying in space towards some planet, can the astronauts tell they're facing down and flying not forward relative to the direction they're facing?

*Edit*

To add clarity, my question is not about the logistics of space travel, but the physics of the drawing. Assuming a craft like the one above, with thrusters on or off, the craft flying in the direction of the arrow, and the astronaut sitting as depicted... Would he/she be able to tell that they're flying "headfirst" as opposed to the traditional concept of "forward" like you would when flying an airplane?

**Tags:** gravity

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: What do you mean by "facing _down_"? There's no up and down in open space. If the thrusters are working, they produce acceleration which will with some force press the astronauts to the floor to which the chair is attached, so in this case the direction to the floor and opposite to "forward" will be "down". Is this the situation you mean?  
> **username_2**: In space, can you *define* "flying sideways"?  
> **username_3**: @BrianTung the OP has just done so. In the image "FW" indicates "forward" i.e. the defined direction of travel in this example. The occupant's upper body and head is facing "sideways" i.e. perpendicular to this direction of travel.  
> **username_3**: I've boosted the contrast of your drawing for clarity, it's an interesting question, I'm curious why you chose Astronomy SE instead of Space Exploration SE though.  
> **username_4**: Thrusters aren’t generally used to propel the capsule *forward*. If any thruster is being used, the occupant will know which way it’s thrusting because they will “fall” in the opposite direction. If it’s thrusting sideways, they’ll “fall” away from the direction of thrust.  
> **username_5**: FWIW, with current rocket technology, we don't use thrusters during the whole journey. They're only used at take-off, and for short burns to modify the craft's orbit (and for landings on airless worlds, like the Moon). For most of the journey to (for example) Mars, the craft is in free-fall.  
> **username_5**: When you're in deep space and the engine is firing, the *upwards* direction is the one you marked as "FW". When the engine is off, there is no sense of up or down because you're in free-fall, so you feel weightless.  
> **username_6**: This is just a physics question, but it has been asked and answers so many times that one loses count.  
> **username_6**: I’m voting to close this question because this is a duplicate of multiple questions on physics.  

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## 0 answers

