For the greater part of 70 years, governments and, more recently, private companies and individuals have been launching items and people into space, but we’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to deciphering the mysteries that exist up there.
When space missions aren’t focused on commercial or military goals, such as deploying or repairing satellites or conducting ground surveillance, astronauts have conducted scientific research. The great majority of scientific experiments undertaken in space have focused on space itself, such as the impact of microgravity on various life forms or humans or ships. Few of the experiments carried out up there were designed to satisfy scientific curiosity about a hypothetical and insignificant topic, such as what would happen if a cannon was fired in space.
In reality, there isn’t any reason to. Everything we need to know about weaponry, space, and physics has already been learned.
You may recall from elementary school science class that a fire requires three things to function: heat, fuel, and air. According to Live Science, a gun works by harnessing the power of fire by creating an explosion that drives the bullet out of the chamber. However, because space is devoid of air, a crucial component of the equation is lacking.
THE BULLET WOULD INDEFINITELY FLY OFF INTO SPACE.
That isn’t a problem, though, because contemporary ammunition has its own oxidizer, a chemical that allows combustion to occur even when there isn’t any air present. The rifle and bullet will work just as well in space as they would on the earth since everything you need is right there in the bullet.
Of course, there would be some slight variations. Due to the lack of air in space to carry sound waves, you wouldn’t be able to hear the explosion unless you shot it from within a spacecraft (which would be a terrible idea). Instead of the wispy vapor trail shown in movies, the smoke would simply extend in a sphere from the barrel’s tip. The bullet can and will only fly so far on the ground due to gravity and friction. Gravity and friction still exist in space, but their effects are vastly different, as demonstrated by the fact that you could shoot a bullet up there.
According to Harvard scientist Matija Cuk, after the bullet is shot, it will most likely travel through space until the universe’s heat death. “The bullet will never halt because the cosmos is expanding faster than any substantial quantity of mass can catch up with to slow it down,” Cuk explained.
THE SHOOTER WILL BE ‘SHOT’ INTO SPACE AS WELL.
Of course, this implies that the bullet will not be grabbed by a star’s or planet’s gravity and pulled back “down.” However, given that objects with actual mass, such as stars and planets, occupy such a miniscule fraction of the cosmos in comparison to the immense expanse of space, the chances of this happening are exceedingly remote.
If you’ve ever shot a gun in real life, you’re probably aware that it produces a “kick” that you must expect and presumably brace yourself for, lest it throw you off balance. Holding the pistol incorrectly can result in a kick that can harm the shooter, not to mention obstructing the gun’s aim and endangering onlookers. As Live Science explains, the kick is the result of one of physics’ most fundamental laws: Newton’s Third Law, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Read more: Tesla Model Pi Smartphone: Everything You Need to Know
In the absence of gravity and friction, this means that the bullet will travel in one direction while the shooter would travel in the opposite direction. The speed at which the bullet and shooter are launched in their respective directions is determined by the velocity and weight of the shooter and bullet,
According to the video, firing an AK-47 sends the shooter backwards at.068 mph, while firing a tiny handgun with a slower-moving but heavier bullet sends the shooter in the other direction at roughly twice that speed.
If you’re not sure why this might be an issue, consider this: Because orbits are circular, the bullet will eventually make a circuit around the Earth and return to where it started. You will have effectively shot yourself in the back since you are now positioned between the bullet and the beginning point to which it is returning, according to Brown University astronomer Peter Schultz, via Live Science. “Perfection is the goal,” he added. Read more: Top Women in Technology Right Now
If this all sounds more theoretical than realistic, remember that, as Schultz noted, scientists have contemplated “self-hits” in space to investigate impacts (with tiny asteroids, space junk, and so on), but have decided against it.
