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Spinning Future: Why Space Station Design Will Give Us Artificial Gravity?
As the pace of human exploration of space continues to accelerate, the demand for long-term residence in space is also gradually increasing. Living in the microgravity environment of outer space for a long time will cause a series of health problems to the human body. Therefore, creating an artificial gravity environment has become an important topic for scientists. Among them, the concept of rotating space station has gradually been recognized as a potential solution to this problem.
Design concept of rotating wheel space station
A wheeled space station, also known as a von Braun wheel, is a hypothetical space station design in the shape of a round wheel. The concept was first proposed by scientist Konstantin Tserkowski in 1903 and was later promoted and improved by Hermann Podoknik and Walter von Braun. The basic principle of this design is to generate centrifugal force through rotation, thereby simulating the gravity of the earth.
This type of space station rotates on its axis to create an environment in which occupants experience centripetal acceleration similar to gravity.
Assuming the radius of the space station is r and the angular velocity is ω, the linear acceleration a at its edge can be expressed as: a = -ω²r. Such a design could theoretically simulate the Earth's gravitational acceleration, allowing humans to live in space for long periods of time without being easily affected by the negative effects of microgravity.
The concept of a rotating wheeled space station has been explored and discussed in depth by many scientists and science fiction writers since the 20th century. Tserkowski proposed the idea of using rotation to generate artificial gravity in 1903, while Podoknik introduced the design of a 30-meter-diameter rotating wheeled space station in his book "Problems of Space Travel" and even suggested placing it on In geostationary orbit. In the 1950s, von Braun and Willy Ley updated this idea in The Scientist Magazine and conceived a rotating space station with a diameter of about 76 meters to provide support for spacecraft traveling to Mars.
If building such a space station is successful, it will be a major step forward in the history of human space exploration.
This concept was even extended in NASA's Stanford circular space station design proposed in 1975, demonstrating the potential for humans to build cities in space in the future. However, due to the various challenges of building such a space station, such as the limited transportation capabilities of the United States and other space-faring countries and insufficient budgets, NASA has not yet attempted to build a wheeled space station.
The future of scientific experimentation
In the 2010s, NASA explored plans for a centrifuge demonstration project called DolphinX. If the plan is implemented, a centrifugal sleeping module will be added to the International Space Station, allowing researchers to conduct artificial gravity experiments without disrupting the existing microgravity experimental environment. This would open up the possibility for future deep space missions, allowing astronauts to rest in a full gravity environment upon launch.
Rotating space station in science fiction
The design of rotating space stations not only exists in scientific research, but also widely appears in science fiction works. Whether it is Alexander Belyayev’s novel “KETs Star” or the classic film and television work “A Space Odyssey”, the rotating design has become the core element of many works. In 2001: A Space Odyssey, the concept of astronauts living in a rotating space station captured the audience's attention.
The rotating space station is not only a scientific fantasy, but also has the potential to become a new home for future human life.
Current Challenges and Future Prospects
While the concept of a rotating wheeled space station holds great potential, its construction and implementation still face many technical and budgetary challenges. How to effectively overcome these problems and make artificial gravity a reality is still a topic that scientists must ponder deeply. With the advancement of technology and humanity's desire for space, will we be able to have a habitable space station on wheels during interstellar travel in the future?
