What force keeps the ISS continually curving around the Earth rather than drifting into space?
Answer
Gravitational pull dictating the curved path
The continued orbit of the ISS is fundamentally dictated by gravity, not the absence of it. The station is constantly falling toward the Earth. However, its tremendous horizontal speed generates sufficient momentum that, as it falls, it continuously curves around the planet instead of hitting the surface. This dynamic balance between the outward tendency of its momentum and the inward pull of Earth's gravity is what maintains its altitude and path. If the sideways velocity were eliminated, gravity would immediately cause the station to fall straight down.
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