What would actually happen if Earth lost gravity as NASA responds to wild rumor
Social media was sent into chaos after people discovered what they believed to be a 'leaked' NASA document detailing how Earth would lose all gravity for just eight seconds on August 12, and while that theory has been concretely shut down, it's left many wondering exactly what would happen if it were true.
Gravity is fundamental to pretty much everything we do on Earth after all, and many have speculated that tens of millions of lives could be lost by even the smallest shift in gravitational force.
Eight seconds doesn't seem like an awful lot of time – and Newton's first law suggests that we wouldn't all suddenly shoot up into the sky unprompted – but there's a good chance that the reintroduction of gravity would have devastating consequences and potentially even lead to the end of civilization.
It's good then that NASA has confidently denied both the existence of any 'leaked' documents and the possibility of a momentary lapse of gravity, but it's fun – if not equally frightening – to speculate all the while.
What would happen if Earth lost gravity?
As shared by What If on YouTube, objects, humans, and even the ocean would start gradually floating upwards as gravity wouldn't be there to pin you down to the ground — although you would need a small, however small, to start that push in the first place.
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Our atmosphere would begin to expand outward in tandem, and one of the most dangerous impacts of the sudden removal of gravity would come from its impact on planes, satellites, and space stations — as they all rely on gravity to generate effective lift or an orbit to keep them in rotation.
The swift return of gravity just eight seconds later would potentially cause more chaos than a prolonged absence, as these objects would suddenly be thrown off course and likely result in destruction when everything returns back to 'normal'.
What's more, anyone that was pushed upwards by a lack of gravity would suddenly be plunged back onto the ground too, and depending on how high they reached that could result in life-threatening or fatal injuries.
Buildings would also likely be destroyed en-masse by the return of gravity as everything would throttle back to where it was before – or where it shouldn't be – and if civilization wasn't wiped out in the immediate aftermath, the impact of the destruction would likely spell the end of the world as we know it in the near future.
Why do people think that Earth would lose gravity?
It all relates to claims that NASA – intentionally or otherwise – 'leaked' a secret document detailing an $89 billion plan to deal with the momentary loss of gravity, which itself was caused by colliding black holes and gravitational waves.
Referred to as 'Project Anchor', this document indicates that tens of millions of lives will be lost on August 12, 2026 when gravity suddenly 'shuts off' — a terrifying prospect that thankfully is impossible in reality.
Gravity after all isn't something that can be turned on and off like a switch, as it relies on mass and will always exist so long as the Earth has a core, mantle, crusts, and a planet overall, there will be gravity.
NASA responds to social media theories
NASA was quick to respond to the claims circulating on social media, offering clarification and reassuring anyone who thought that a veritable apocalypse was on its way today.
Detailing its explanation, NASA illustrated: "The Earth will not lose gravity on August 12, 2026. Earth's gravity, or total graviational force, is determined by its mass.
"The only way for the Earth to lose gravity would be for the Earth system, the combined mass of its core, mantle, crust, ocean, terrestrial water, and atmosphere, to lose mass. A total solar eclipse has no unusual impact on Earth's gravity," the space agency continued.
"The gravitational attraction of the Sun and Moon on the Earth, which doesn't impact Earth's total gravity, but does impact tidal forces, is well understood and is predictable decades in advance."