Does the climax of the movie ‘Gravity’ violate simple physics?
Should George Clooney’s character have floated away? Or do the laws of physics tell a different story?
“You’ve got to learn to let go.” -Matt Kowalski, Gravity
The movies play an incredibly important role in firing our imaginations about what’s possible for humanity’s future, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the realm of space travel. Over the past couple of years, movies like Interstellar, The Martian and Gravity have helped us dream up what’s possible for the future, yet they also leave us with questions about how accurate they might be. Inspired by this, I received a question from Troy Stuart, who wants to know:
The wife and I are watching Gravity tonight when this comes up. [See picture, below.] My question is at the point when the tether is stretched tight and they are hanging out in space, why when George releases does he drift away? Weight is at that point equal and is not an issue. The wife thinks because of the mass is different they float in space at different speeds. I’m saying the mass is only an issue when a change in direction is trying to be achieved. So… why does George float away when he unhooked himself?
