Amazing Footage Shows Inside of Space Station When It Fires Its Mighty Thrusters

Looks like fun!

Space Ride

Charming footage from from the interior of the International Space Station shows what happens to the astronauts inside when the ship fires its thrusters.

That's cool on its own, but it's also a terrific demonstration of Newtonian physics. Case in point, instead of the astronauts moving inside the ISS, the video that the European Space Agency posted to YouTube shows the ISS moving while the crew remain suspended in microgravity.

 

"During the maneuver, the astronauts inside the station keep flying at the same speed and direction," the ESA said of the 1-minute clip. "While it seems like the astronauts are moving inside the station, it is in fact the ISS that gets the boost and is moving around them."

The maneuver is especially exciting because it's astronaut Matthias Maure's first mission to the space station, and the Expedition 66 crew line up behind him to tuck their knees in while the ISS moves, making for a super slow kind of off world carnival ride (and, it's worth noting, the ESA says the video was also sped up 8 times.)

Slow-Mo

The video may also lend credence to interpretation that Russia's head cosmonaut left Roscosmos because there wasn't enough work for him to do on the ISS. If crew on various teams have time to float around for fun, it's reasonable to suspect they're working overtime to fill up their downtime.

Regardless of the cultural implications of this clip — such as the fact that terrestrial warfare is affecting even life in space — it still puts a smile on your face. It's wholesome to know that wherever we are, the basic human experience of creating fun is unlikely to disappear.

More on off-world news: Scientists Propose Planet-Size Telescope