In the newly released movie "Gravity" the main character is left alone floating in space in a spacesuit, in a fast spin. Assuming there are no external forces (no tether, jet-pack etc) the system is closed and the initial angular momentum has to be preserved. However, can the astronaut change the axis of rotation? Say, initially the rotation is around the principal axis going perpendicular to the body in the plane of the shoulders (Fig. A). Can the astronaut, using only his/her body, transition to rotation around the principal axis going along the body (Fig. B)? The body shape is the same in the initial and final position, only the orientation is different.
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bobie
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Maxim Umansky
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Possible duplicates: http://physics.stackexchange.com/q/88322/2451 and links therein. – Qmechanic Dec 23 '14 at 10:31
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Sure, cats do it all the time when they fall. – John Alexiou Dec 23 '14 at 13:37
