Astronauts appear "weightless" because they're in free fall. That is, their environment (the ISS or whatever) is continually falling toward the center of the Earth at the same rate every non-attached object inside it is falling.
You can have the same effect for about 1 second if you jump off a 5m diving platform. If, after you jump, you hold an object like an orange in front of you and let go, it'll fall at the same rate as you and appear float in front of you (until you hit the water). The "Vomit Comet" can achieve the same effect for longer by going into a dive that matches the acceleration of gravity for thousands of meters.
It actually makes no sense at all for the supposed ISS. It makes perfect sense for a vomit comet. The supposed ISS is not acting like the vomit comet, though.
They, and everything inside them, are both following ballistic trajectories. Sorry if this doesn't make sense to you; it's still true.
No they aren't following ballistic trajectories at all. People are just conned into believing they are, yet it comes down to using common sense to see it's nonsense.
It's easy to see why a plane can mimic what's known as so called zero gravity but in truth it's mimicking terminal velocity, only falling marginally faster than the persons/objects inside of it which gives them the feeling of what's known as zero gravity or weightlessness.
If the ISS was really in space it would literally have to fall towards Earth in the very same way the plane does.
Of course, we get told that "no, no, it falls around the Earth because it's going 18,000 mph."
Anyone using their common sense should understand that to fall around a ball like we are told, the ISS would have to keep losing altitude because we are told so called gravity is pulling them into the centre of Earth.
What's their answer for why it doesn't?
Well, it's the old centripetal force effect or to put it plainly, the ISS is going so fast that it would normally just fly off into space...but, the old swing ball string of gravity keeps pulling it back in every time it tries to take that slingshot, because the ISS is the tennis ball attached to the swing ball string.
Now think about what I've just said. You see there are two forces at work with this fantasy model.
1. You have the ISS wanting to piss off into space at 18,000 mph sling shot speed.
2.Earth gravity tensions the invisble string to make sure this does not happen.
Ok, so what do we have from this?
Well, it's neither falling nor slingshotting into space.
If that is the case, then it should be sensible to assume that the occupants inside of the (cough) ISS would actually feel the force of the part of the ISS panelling that faces away from the Earth. In other words, they should be stuck to it like limpets.
Not convinced?
Ok, then let's shrink you down and put you inside that swing ball tennis ball then set this swingball into motion.
Question: Where do you think your body will be inside that balls inner skin.
1. Floating about enjoying yourself?
2. Stuck to the inner skin of the ball facing away from the string and pole?
People: your minds have been totally battered and mashed up with fantasy science.
You see: mainstream science does explain all these things but they are explained using fantasy not logic and common sense.