Newton's First Law
In the context of aerospace engineering, Newton's First Law, also known as the Law of Inertia, states that an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will stay in motion, unless acted upon by an external force. This fundamental principle is crucial in understanding the movement of aircraft and spacecraft. For instance, once a spacecraft is launched and escapes the Earth's gravitational pull, it will continue moving in the same direction and at the same speed, unless another force, such as gravity from another celestial body or a deliberate change in trajectory from a propulsion system, acts upon it. Similarly, an aircraft on the ground will not move until a force, such as thrust from its engines, is applied. This law also explains why passengers feel a forward force when an airplane slows down for landing, or a backward force when it speeds up for takeoff.
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