An astronaut released hooks holding two spacecrafts together and the 68,000 kg shuttle pushed away from the space station with the aid of four large springs. If the 73,000 kg space station moved back at a speed of 0.50 m/s, how fast and in what direction did the space shuttle move?

0.54 m/s in opposite direction to the other astonaut

Explanation:

The law of conservation of linear momentum states that the sum of initial momentum equals the sum of final momentum. Initially, since both don't move then initial momentum is zero. Momentum, p is a product of mass and velocity,

expressed as p=mv

Finally, considering that the 73000 kg moves backward, the velocity is -0.5 m/s.

68000v+ (73000*-0.5)=0

V=(73000*0.5)/68000=0.5367647058823 m/s

Rounded off, it is 0.54 m/s and moves opposite the direction of the 73000 kg astronaut