Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Since earth is moving and everything around it moves as well, is it possible to control our movement ? for e.g. by some way (that will be next invention perhaps) if I jump up and remain constant in that position then will I be travelling. for e.g. An air plane can go upto certain height and become still and use earth motion to travel.

Question is.... can this become a reality ?

Hi,

The only problem I see that this cannot happen is because the plane must maintain movement in order to keep itself in flight over the eart. If it stops movement in relation to the earth, it will crash. But if we can remove this issue, say, with an object placed in orbit - it is not moving in relation to the earth (it has stopped), but it is still moving with the earth in relation to the sun and rest of solar system and galaxy, right? The only problem is that we cannot control this now. Could we very far in the future? I don't know.

Tonya