Let’s think about outer space for our next example of the conservation of
momentum.
What is this, space camp?
Sigh. Let’s just suppose you are an astronaut, Ninomiya-san. During vehi-
cle repairs outside the space craft, your tether has become disconnected,
leaving you floating away from your space shuttle. All you have in your
hand is the wrench you’ve been using to repair your ship. How can you get
back to your ship?
Maybe I can swim back.
Oh, ho ho ho, it’s quite impossible to “swim” in a vacuum. Recall the first
law of motion: An object at rest tends to stay at rest ...
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month, and much more.