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Subject: 
Re: Wings [was: Re: Building big]
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space, lugnet.loc.au
Date: 
Thu, 21 Jun 2001 21:01:41 GMT
Viewed: 
7573 times
  
In lugnet.space, William R. Ward writes:
"Jesse Alan Long" <joyous4god2@yahoo.com> writes:
In lugnet.space, William R. Ward writes:
That may be true, but I don't think anyone knows for sure, because we
haven't tried going that fast yet.  My spacecraft follow a very "hard
SF" policy - no FTL travel, no artificial gravity, etc.  But that's
not to say that it's the only way...

There has existed artificial gravity for years in the space programs, most
notably our space program, all over the world.  These same companies are
working with contractors to develop newer types of engines such as an ion
propulsion system for the future replacements of the space shuttle, of which
some people may say that they may be in production and used in outer space
as early as the year 2003.

The only form of "artificial gravity" that is currently possible is to
use a centrifuge structure to simulate gravity.  If you've seen the
film "2001: A Space Odyssey" you will remember the doughnut-shaped
room where the men worked and excercised - the rotation of that room
caused a simulated gravitational pull outwards from the center of the
ship using centripetal force.  Another design involves pods which
rotate around a central axis.

In Star Trek, Star Wars, and other TV and movie depictions of
spacecraft, the people are always walking around on flat surfaces,
just as if they were on Earth.  This is of course because zero-gravity
is very difficult to simulate for the purposes of filming the show.
So they make up a technology of "artifical gravity" which is part of
the story, that the Enterprise or Millennium Falcon, or whatever, has
"gravity generators" that pull people towards the "floor".  However,
this is a gross violation of the laws of physics.  In a real space
ship like the Shuttle, there is no perceptible gravity and people just
float around.  It makes things like eating, sleeping, and going to the
bathroom somewhat complicated as you might imagine...

The problem with zero-gravity is that human bodies don't handle it
well.  Our bodies evolved with the need to constantly pump blood up to
your head, and your bones and muscles are built to constantly fight
the pull of gravity.  In a zero-G environment, these body systems
weaken, and when you return to Earth after an extended stay, it
requires several weeks or even months of rehabilitation before you can
be accustomed to Earth gravity again.  So on Mir and the ISS,
astronauts and cosmonauts need to exercise frequently to minimize this
effect.  However, it doesn't seem to be possible to eliminate it with
current technology.

--Bill.
Thank you, Bill, for telling me what the name of that technology was in my
letter.  There is a fatal flaw in your response, however, Bill.  You seem to
think that it is impossible to conduct this type of technology yet you
already answered how people, at least with the technology that we have
developed in society, could develop such an "artificial gravity" system.  I
am not sure how that the gravity generators are a violation of the laws of
physics so please explain this logic to me, Bill.
Jesse Long



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: Wings [was: Re: Building big]
 
Hi. Gravity generators per se are not in violation of the laws of physics. However, they are far in advance of any current technology that we have. In order to generate an artificial gravity field, without the use of centrifugal force, we'd have to (...) (23 years ago, 21-Jun-01, to lugnet.space, lugnet.loc.au)
  Re: Wings [was: Re: Building big]
 
(...) To clarify: the centrifuge technique is more of a gravity simulator, rather than the sort of gravity generator that is imagined for Star Trek or such. --Bill. (23 years ago, 21-Jun-01, to lugnet.space, lugnet.loc.au)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Wings [was: Re: Building big]
 
(...) The only form of "artificial gravity" that is currently possible is to use a centrifuge structure to simulate gravity. If you've seen the film "2001: A Space Odyssey" you will remember the doughnut-shaped room where the men worked and (...) (23 years ago, 21-Jun-01, to lugnet.space, lugnet.loc.au)

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