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In <1993Jan19.235621.13674@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> mperlman@nyx.cs.du.edu (Marshal "Airborne" Perlman) writes:

>I am not a big physics fan, so maybe one of you can answer this in
>plain english for us non-NASA [as of now, =8)] people.

>In microgravity, the weight of 'stuff' is less (quite less). And more then 
>once I've seen astronauts handle objects of much mass (and if on earth, 
>much weight) like they were feathers. OK, fine I understand that. BUT
>what allows the shuttle to not be effected by this? For example. If
>astronaut bob was standing in the shuttle, and grabbed a big-ol satellite,
>he reaches out and grabs it... ok? But what doesn't stop astronaut bob from
>accidently grabbing the shuttle or something? and turning it end over end?

>I am sure there is some simple answer to this, but I cannot think of it
>now. 

Weight changes, but mass remains the same.  Inertia comes from mass,
not weight.  The astronaut, the satellite, and the Shuttle all have
the same mass and inertia that they have when they're sitting on
Earth.  One is not likely to move a mass the size of the orbiter very
much by bouncing astronaut-sized masses off of it (unless one throws
the *real* hard ;-)).

-- 
"Insisting on perfect safety is for people who don't have the balls to live
 in the real world."   -- Mary Shafer, NASA Ames Dryden
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Fred.McCall@dseg.ti.com - I don't speak for others and they don't speak for me.