Travelling In A Straight Line In Space

[Sammyg]

I know all object in space have orbits and orbits can be changed but is it possible for rocket or a spacecraft to travel in a straight line.

 

[tiny-tim]

I know all object in space have orbits and orbits can be changed but is it possible for rocket or a spacecraft to travel in a straight line.

Hi Sammyg!

If it keeps firing its rockets, then it can follow any curve it likes, including a straight line.

but once the rockets are off, it can only travel in a straight line if it's going "straight up or down".

 

[fhisicsstudnt]

I know all object in space have orbits and orbits can be changed but is it possible for rocket or a spacecraft to travel in a straight line.

Travel straight with respect to what?

 

[colin456]

In general rel, there may not be such a thing as a straight line in a spacetime with a funny geometry. When not under the action of external forces, things travel along geodesics. In flat "minkowski" spacetime, this principle corresponds to straight lines and is simply a more general form of the principle of inertia.