The Gravity Flyer

Abstract

Ordinarily there is no need to remember that a satellite flying in an orbit around the Earth is a body, and not a particle (point mass). As a rule, in the calculation of orbits this fact is neglected. But a fact remains a fact: the Earth’s force of attraction acting on a body is different from the force acting on a particle with the same mass as the body and placed at the same distance from the center of the Earth as the center of mass of the body. This obvious, but easy to forget fact can have surprising consequences!

...The gauge indicator was showing that the tank was dry, with not even a drop of fuel left...Krug stood motionless for several minutes, getting used with this thought. No fuel. Then how the hell will he get to the spaceship? And at that moment he realized for the first time that perhaps he will not get there at all...

...And then he acted in an illogical, yet ordinary way...doing what any drowning person does: he began swimming. He swam, although that was extremely stupid — to swim in space, where there is nothing to push away from! He threw his hands forward and moved his legs the way a swimmer does. He dutifully gathered in the vacuum with his wide armor-covered palms, stirring it with his heavy legs, and swam, swam...

B. Mikhaǐlov,Among Stars