Orbits in Space: Students at the middle school level are expected to develop a qualitative understanding
of orbital motion as an extension of projectile motion. If a projectile is launched with sufficient power at
just the right angle, it will go into orbit because its curving path will match the curve of Earth. In other
words, an object in orbit is always falling, but it always "misses" hitting the ground. Students are also
expected to know that planets and moons are kept in their orbits in a similar manner, as we see from these
statements in the Benchmarks and National Standards: