Space is not completely empty. There are tiny particles of matter and radiation scattered throughout space, and they can interact with objects that move through them.
If you push an object in space, it will eventually encounter some resistance from these particles and slow down.
- A small and light object like a dust particle will be more affected by the space medium than a large and heavy object like a spaceship.
- A smooth and streamlined object like a bullet will experience less drag than a rough and irregular object like a rock.
- A fast-moving object like a comet will lose more energy than a slow-moving object like an asteroid. And so on.
Voyager 1 (For perspective)
Launched in 1977 and is now the farthest human-made object from Earth, is travelling at about 17 km/s (38,000 mph) and is expected to run out of power by 2025.
After that, it will continue to coast through interstellar space for billions of years, but it will gradually slow down due to the interstellar medium, which has a density of about 0.1 atoms per cubic centimeter.
It is estimated that it will take about 300 billion years for Voyager 1 to slow down to 1 km/s (2,200 mph).
Verdict:
No, an object pushed into one direction in space will not keep travelling forever. It will eventually slow down and stop due to the resistance from the space medium.
But, depending on the characteristics of the object and the space medium, it may take a very long time for that to happen.
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