Artificial Gravity on Spacestation

[Airbrush]

Why don't the crew in the spacestation have living quarters that rotate for artificial gravity?

[pwagen]

Due to the size of current space stations, they would have to rotate really fast to produce decent gravity. That would run the risk of having the station break apart due to the stress. Also, there would be a lot of difference in gravity between your head and your feet, with your feet dealing with the most gravity. So most of your blood would gather in your feet, making you nauseous. So until we're able to build quite a bit larger space stations, we probably shouldn't make them spin!

 

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/01/10/3405165.htm

http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/webcasts/shuttle/sts110/iss-qa.html

[Mr Monkeybat]

Also on a small station spinning rapidly you will get quite dizzy. A space station not made to spin can also get away with a much more lightweight structure, and is more suited to modular construction. Also micro gravity research is the main purpose of the space station.

[Airbrush]

Thanks for the info pwagen, very interesting links. However, I was thinking that rather than a spinning disk, like in the movie "2001" just 2 cabins with apartments for the astronauts linked by a long tether. Only the crew quarters would rotate. At the end of a work day, they would climb through a tunnel-tether to their compartments about 50 yards out for sleep and R&R. This would keep them fit for long periods.

Edited February 20, 2013 by Airbrush

[pwagen]

That's an interesting thought. At first glance, it feels as though two weights (the outer cabins) would be too heavy for it to be stable. Would the connecting link be strong enough to hold them together? It does seem NASA has been conceptualizing your idea though:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_habitat

 

(Ctrl + F for "bola").

 

Image:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nasa_mars_artificial_gravity_1989.jpg

 

I can't do the math to say whether this would work, but with all this nano technology making promises (or is it just the media?), who knows!

[Mr Monkeybat]

Having a spinning section and a zero g section connected together makes for complications where they join. The bearing has to be both airtight, and low friction, and reliable, and long lived.

[Airbrush]

"A NASA artist's concept of a vehicle which could provide an artificial-gravity environment of Mars exploration crews. The piloted vehicle rotates around the axis that contains the solar panels. Levels of artificial gravity vary according to the tether length and the rate at which the vehicle spans."

 

This is exactly what I was thinking. It seems very simple to tether two compartments of equal mass by cables and rotate. This creates little stress, only one G. The hub/axis could be attached on any edge of the ISS. The compartments would each have small rockets to return to the ISS in the unlikely event the cables would break and they fly off in opposite directions. Also it would be nice if they don't have to go for a space walk outside to reach the outer compartments. That is why I propose a pressurized structure surrounding the cables.

 

"Having a spinning section and a zero g section connected together makes for complications where they join. The bearing has to be both airtight, and low friction, and reliable, and long lived."

 

I don't know what is so complicated about cables attached to a spinning axis. The cables are not supporting the Golden Gate bridge. Maybe you could elaborate?

[ARMF]

The spacestation could be like a spinning torus, and the crew live inside it. Just the equipments that can´t spin should be outside, spinning at reverse.