Why do astronauts on space station orbiting earth float?

Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) experience weightlessness because both the station and the astronauts are in a state of continuous free fall towards Earth. While gravity still acts on them, the ISS travels forward at a high speed, creating a curved path that matches the curvature of Earth. This balance between gravitational pull and forward motion results in a sensation of floating, commonly referred to as microgravity. Thus, they are not truly "floating" but rather falling around the Earth.