Space PhysicsIntroduction

Falling Around the Earth

Part of Orbits · GCSE GCSE Physics revision

This introduction covers Falling Around the Earth within Orbits for GCSE Physics. Revise Orbits in Space Physics for GCSE Physics with 13 exam-style questions and 10 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 1 of 8 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Topic position

Section 1 of 8

Practice

13 questions

Recall

10 flashcards

📖 Falling Around the Earth

Here's a mind-bending fact: the International Space Station is constantly FALLING towards Earth — but it keeps missing! It's moving so fast sideways (28,000 km/h) that by the time it falls, the curved Earth has dropped away beneath it. This is what an orbit really is: falling forever but never hitting the ground. Newton figured this out in the 1600s by imagining a cannon on a very high mountain...

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Orbits. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

What Keeps Objects in Orbit?Circular vs Elliptical Orbits Orbital Speed and Radius

Practice Questions for Orbits

What is a protostar?

A. A cloud of gas and dust in space
B. A star that is forming from a collapsing cloud of gas and dust
C. A star that has used up all its hydrogen
D. A star that has exploded as a supernova

1 markfoundation

Explain why a main sequence star remains stable (in equilibrium) for billions of years.

2 marksstandard

Quick Recall Flashcards

What is Low Earth Orbit (LEO)?

Orbit at 200-2000 km altitude with ~90 minute orbital period. Used for ISS, imaging, and Earth observation

What is a polar orbit used for?

Mapping - the satellite orbits at ~800 km altitude covering the whole Earth as the planet rotates beneath it

13 questions on Orbits — practise free

Instant marking, adaptive difficulty, and 10 spaced repetition flashcards. Free until your GCSEs.

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Orbits

What Keeps Objects in Orbit?