Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site mordor.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!hplabs!intelca!qantel!dual!mordor!@S1-A.ARPA:host.MIT-MC.ARPA From: @S1-A.ARPA:host.MIT-MC.ARPA Newsgroups: net.space Subject: Re: Getting UNSTUCK in the middle of space Message-ID: <1711@mordor.UUCP> Date: Wed, 8-May-85 14:35:24 EDT Article-I.D.: mordor.1711 Posted: Wed May 8 14:35:24 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 12-May-85 01:48:11 EDT Sender: daemon@mordor.UUCP Lines: 23 From: Martin D. Katz I understand that most attempts at throwing something fail to induce the desired motion because the astronaut doesn't know his center of mass. Baloons, etc. would have the same problem. One person suggested blowing. Because the mouth is near the end of the body, most of the energy would be converted into rotation unless the person could blow almost straight up. Throwing a ball would impart some momentum (mostly rotation). If the ball is caught on a single bounce, the momemtum would be almost cancelled. Catching the ball on a double bounce might double ones momentum (but, the chances of throwing from the center of mass and then catching to the center of mass are nearly nil). In general, I would say that if one wanted to throw something, it would be better to throw it upward. The best approach would probably be to swim -- one might be able to use a shirt as either a fin or a sail. Of course, it would be hard to actually get stuck for long -- the cabin air is kept in constant motion. The air flow would eventually move you toward an air intake.