Post by n0mad on Jun 8, 2007 17:32:35 GMT -4
I'm not sure that even in the center of rotation you'd really be in "zero-g", and so the only way really would be some connected non-rotary section (or an entirely seperate facility somewhere nearby). The biggest problem that I see is in the Coriolis effect. Appearently, the closer you are to the axis of rotation the more pronounced this effect is.
This seems to also be one of the overlooked problems of the torus or O'Neil station designs as well. The physics of a spinning space station are very different than what we're used to here down the gravity well. For instance, the Coriolis effect is experienced differently depending on whether you're moving up towards the axis or down away from it. In other words, stairways would have to be directionally specific, and couldn't be used for both ascending and descending without causing some real problems.
A couple of documents worth looking at on this subject:
NASA doc "3 Preliminary Technical Data for Earth Orbiting Space Station: Standards and Criteria" accession number 67 27653 (1966), specifically section 3 "artificial gravity". This document is dated and relies too heavily on experiments done with a small rotating facility.
A more recent and interesting document:
"The Architecture of Artificial Gravity: Archetypes and Transformations of Terrestrial Design" - Theodore W. Hall.
Both of these are easily found with an internet search engine.
Here's a question - Zero-g is largely a misnomer and usually refers to freefall. What about the LaGrange Liberation Points 4 & 5? In my mental experiments/visualizations, they seem to be more like dimples in space where Earth and the Moon's gravities interact. If this is the case then wouldn't objects placed in these places move around in patterns like a spirograph? I just can't see things sitting still there.
This seems to also be one of the overlooked problems of the torus or O'Neil station designs as well. The physics of a spinning space station are very different than what we're used to here down the gravity well. For instance, the Coriolis effect is experienced differently depending on whether you're moving up towards the axis or down away from it. In other words, stairways would have to be directionally specific, and couldn't be used for both ascending and descending without causing some real problems.
A couple of documents worth looking at on this subject:
NASA doc "3 Preliminary Technical Data for Earth Orbiting Space Station: Standards and Criteria" accession number 67 27653 (1966), specifically section 3 "artificial gravity". This document is dated and relies too heavily on experiments done with a small rotating facility.
A more recent and interesting document:
"The Architecture of Artificial Gravity: Archetypes and Transformations of Terrestrial Design" - Theodore W. Hall.
Both of these are easily found with an internet search engine.
Here's a question - Zero-g is largely a misnomer and usually refers to freefall. What about the LaGrange Liberation Points 4 & 5? In my mental experiments/visualizations, they seem to be more like dimples in space where Earth and the Moon's gravities interact. If this is the case then wouldn't objects placed in these places move around in patterns like a spirograph? I just can't see things sitting still there.