Why is it incorrect to say that astronauts are weightless in space while orbiting Earth in a space shuttle?

Gravity exists everywhere in the universe. According to the formula, no matter how large the distance between objects, there is still a gravitational force. Astronauts appear weightless while in orbit around Earth because the space shuttle and the astronauts are in free fall around it. Since they fall at the same rate as the space shuttle, the astronauts appear weightless.