Re: In orbit, on orbit?
- From: Len <len@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 02 Jul 2007 19:49:55 -0700
On Jul 1, 8:53 pm, Sylvia Else <syl...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
NASA seems to talk about its craft being on orbit, rather than in orbit.
Anyone know the derivation of this usage?
Sylvia.
Here's my take on "in" and "on."
The Russians got to space first. Accordingly,
Russian language peculiarties got there first
as well.
"Idt'i" means to go, but it also means to walk.
So "to go" in space somehow came out
as "to walk." Similarly, the preposition
"na" can mean "in" or "on." I think the
idea of "space walks" and "on orbit"
sounded more interesting at the start of
the space age. So they kind of stuck.
I tend to use "on orbit" out of respect to the
fact that the Russians got their first--even
though, 50 years ago, I was heavily
invovled in the IGY satellite program, and
therefore rooting for Vanguard and Jupiter.
Len
.
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