Marine fighter pilot, aquanaut, and NASA astronaut Randy “Komrade” Bresnik has taken some astounding photos and videos aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since his tenure there began in July. He’s nailed perfect spacewalk selfies, as well as shared some unique looks at what it’s like to eat a floating meal. But nothing tops Bresnik’s latest video of a spinning fidget spinner in space. The video not only showcases Newton’s laws of motion, but also how badass astronauts can immediately revert back into goofy kids if you give them a toy and some microgravity.
The ISS fidget spinner video, which comes via Sploid, was posted to Bresnik’s Twitter account with the caption “A fidget spinner in space! How long does it spin? I’m not sure, but it’s a great way to experiment with Newton’s laws of motion.” It’s also apparently a great way to pass the time between lighting spacecraft on fire and planning secret escapes.
Bresnik notes in the post that “Allowing the fidget spinner to float reduces the bearing friction by permitting the rate of the central ring and outer spinner to equalize, and the whole thing spins as a unit.” This is even cooler when you realize that the microgravity aboard the ISS is due to the fact that it’s falling at 17,500 miles per hour around Earth, and it’s that constant falling that causes everything to float far more than the craft’s distance from Earth.
Below are a few of Bresnik’s Instagram posts, which display other objects floating aboard the ISS in a similarly surreal manner.
Bresnik shows off some floating pudding and chocolate sauce.
Balloon animals Bresnik made for his children.
What do you think about this video of a fidget spinner in space? What anxiety-reducing toy do you want to see launched into orbit next? Give us your thoughts in the comments below!
Images: NASA Johnson
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