The issue of creating artificial gravity has been relevant throughout the history of space exploration., Moreover, the principles of its creation have been known to mankind for a long time.
For the first time, artificial gravity was substantiated and calculated by Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky. This was a necessary condition for the development of orbital stations and vehicles for interstellar flights..
According to the ideas of Tsiolkovsky, artificial gravity should be created in a toroidal space station rotating around its axis.
And there is clear evidence of this., after all, when any body rotates in an inertial frame of reference, inertial forces arise, the totality of which is commonly called "centrifugal force". Centrifugal force acts on objects, "pressing" them to the periphery of the rotating body, thereby creating the effect of gravitational attraction.
properly, that's the whole recipe for creating artificial gravity, which is already known 100 years.
On the carousel you all rode?
“Hali-gali”, “Paratrooper”, you and I were great. “super eight”, “Hali-gali”, we flew all day, flew… Here she is – “centrifugal force”…
On the carousel you all rode?
But something with the implementation of this quite feasible idea, we delayed a little. one thing – implement artificial gravity by gravitational wave interference, or changes in Higgs field density (what humanity can't do today, although it can be theoretically substantiated), and quite another thing – create a conditional "top", which is simple to disgrace, but which will help you comfortably spend time in near-Earth orbit without the risk of suffering from the consequences of a long stay in weightlessness. Many do not understand, what is the problem here.
And the truth – what?
Experiments to create artificial gravity in Earth's orbit were indeed planned. Sergei Pavlovich Korolev personally dealt with this issue, he paid special attention to this in his projects for the flight to Mars.
By the end 1964 the entire technical description of the experiment was prepared, and to 1966 the necessary components and assemblies were manufactured. Preparations for the experiment began, in which artificial gravity will be created in Earth's orbit.
However, the premature death of Korolev did not allow these plans to come true., however, like many others.
But experiments on earth continued: with rotating camera “MVK-1” experiments were carried out to study the impact on a person of a rotating environment, started back in the 1960s.
Then a grander experiment began. – «Orbit», during which a whole living compartment was mounted on a centrifuge with a shoulder length of 20 m, designed for two people, who were to spend there until 35 day.
The design of the centrifuge was, that she did not need to be stopped to replenish supplies. The scientists could visit the subjects at any time, take readings and experiment. The research was carried out with 1965 by 1973 years.
Centrifuge parameters “Orbit”.
Photo of living cabin, deviated from the vertical during the rotation of the Orbit stand
Work table in the living compartment of the Orbita centrifuge
Centrifuge parameters “Orbit”.
However, such work was not carried out to create the effect of artificial gravity., with whom everything was clear, and for research as a physical, and the mental impact of centrifugal force on human health.
Experiments clearly show, that the presence of a person in a rotating environment leads to the appearance of the motion sickness effect in the vestibular apparatus. At a high speed of rotation, clinical forms of motion sickness begin to develop., as a result of which a person loses coordination and becomes incapacitated. First of all, our vestibular apparatus suffers..
The Orbit experiment provided a lot of valuable information regarding the impact of continuous rotation on people's well-being., on their health, performance and various kinds of psychological accents (eg, interaction with each other).
That is, we have at our disposal developments for the justification and creation of ships and stations, inside which artificial gravity will be achieved due to the rotation of the entire structure. but, taking into account energy costs and engineering solutions, which are required to create a close analogue of the Orbita centrifuge, it becomes clear, what is constructively impossible today, because modern space engineering has not reached this level, to put into orbit or build such complex dynamic structures there.
But this does not prevent various companies from playing on the feelings of investors., not understanding the problem. for example, American company “Orbital Assembly Corporation” He stated, what to 2028 will build an orbital hotel with artificial gravity on 400 human.
Investors bring your money, it's a win-win!
But this does not prevent various companies from playing on the feelings of investors., not understanding the problem. for example, American company “Orbital Assembly Corporation” He stated, what to 2028 will build an orbital hotel with artificial gravity on 400 human.
The next generation centrifuge was designed to solve this problem – "Jupiter-2".
The Jupiter-2 installation appeared in 1989 year. It was a metal cylinder with a diameter of 4.6 meters and a height of 2.2 meters., inside which conditions are created for an active and quite comfortable stay of two subjects at the same time.
This setup has confirmed the results, obtained in the Orbita experiment, namely – dependence of human well-being on the centrifuge speed, not from the radius, described by it during rotation.
for example, almost no one was able to withstand the speed of rotation above 12 rev / min. It was real torture for a man. Even for more or less tolerable speed tolerance of about 9 rpm required to take a wide range of pharmacological procedures and drugs, however, this often did not help..
At a rotational speed 6 rpm trained test subjects could already adapt to the conditions in a few hours, and then spend up to several days in such an environment.
The performance and general well-being of a person began to deteriorate sharply at a speed higher than 4 rev / min.
Installation “Jupiter-2”.
Instructing the subject in the module “Jupiter-2”. Interesting poster with orbital stations in the background.
Installation “Jupiter-2”.
As a result of these experiments, we found out another feature of the human body, placed in unfamiliar conditions. It's about the difference in gravity., when the feet are conditionally attracted more strongly, than the head. So it became clear, that in order to simulate terrestrial gravity, the direction of action of g-forces in weightlessness should be along the longitudinal axis of the body from the head to the feet.
It is this position of the human body that creates hydrostatic blood pressure., similar to that, what a person experiences, standing on the ground. therefore, to minimize the consequences of the negative impact on the body of weightlessness, it is possible to use centrifuges even with a relatively small diameter of the body as a preventive therapy.
For, so that a person in rotation conditions does not experience any effects, and his physical and psychological state in space was indistinguishable from the state in terrestrial conditions, lower rpm required 4 rpm and the maximum difference in gravity throughout the body, no more than 3%.
To do this, it is necessary to increase the radius of the entire structure. And these are large dynamic loads on the structure. Today it is possible to create such structures only on Earth., in space, the creation of even a slowly rotating centrifuge of small diameter is technically difficult.
The design for simulating terrestrial conditions of existence and similar gravity should be with the following characteristics: diameter – 412 m, rotation frequency – 2,08 rev / min.
- I wrote more about the calculations of this design in the article.: "Real fiction: artificial gravity".
of course, it will be impossible to create something like this for a long time. Likely, by that time, when will the construction of the first space station in space with artificial gravity similar in magnitude to the terrestrial gravity sieve begin, there will already be bases on the moon with several settlements and thousands of colonists.
Centrifuge “CF-18” makes it possible to carry out physiological studies and training of cosmonauts under conditions of g-forces regulated in magnitude and direction, with the help of which conditions of artificial gravity are created.
There are quite a lot of similar centrifuges for training astronauts and space tourists around the world..
Centrifuge “N-243”
Centrifuge “CF-18” makes it possible to carry out physiological studies and training of cosmonauts under conditions of g-forces regulated in magnitude and direction, with the help of which conditions of artificial gravity are created.
Weightless conditions are too detrimental to human health, and the same flight to Mars would pose an excessive danger to human health, which will make most of the crew incapacitated in the gravity of Mars. And if we add here the background cosmic radiation, or induced secondary radiation in the hull of the ship itself, it's actually a deadly risk..
Actually the head of the American company “SpaceX” Elon Musk in an interview with the Foundation “Xprize” about the flight and exploration of Mars, he said so: "Honestly, a bunch of people, probably, will die first. Getting there is not easy.”.
Yes, today we cannot create a station with artificial gravity in Earth's orbit, imitating terrestrial conditions at least in part. But here to carry out the so-called gravitational therapy, thanks to which astronauts will be able to minimize the harmful effects of weightlessness, is quite real.
New generation of Russian short radius centrifuge.
As part of the experiment “Luna 2015” women were tested for the first time.
Red button next to the glass – emergency stop of all centrifuge systems.
New generation of Russian short radius centrifuge.
FROM 2014 2009, new tests began on the improved short radius centrifuge.
RSC Energia with 2012 has been working on the technology of inflatable modules with the placement of an onboard short-radius centrifuge in them. AT 2016 year passed certification all the necessary materials, shell fragments were made and tested, a full-scale model of the module was created and tested.
Similar inflatable module “BEAM” from 2016 tested as part of the American segment of the ISS.
The centrifuge module for artificial gravity experiments was canceled by NASA in 2005 year.
Similar inflatable module “BEAM” from 2016 tested as part of the American segment of the ISS.
Not all work has been completed yet: as of 2021 the creation of independent suspensions is required, damping vibration in outer space conditions.
However, work is underway, and the new national space station “ROSS” will be with the artificial gravity module. And it's even logical., since the experience and design solutions of the USSR and Russia were significantly ahead of world developments, in terms of systems for studying and influencing artificial gravity on humans.
As Dmitry Rogozin said earlier, station “ROSS” will become a platform for testing flight technologies to Mars and other planets of the solar system.
- More about the station “ROSS” i wrote in the article “Orbital station “ROSS” will be the first space outpost”.
On the latest generation of the centrifuge, it has already been clarified, that in order to significantly reduce the effects of weightlessness on the human body during the flight, eg, to Mars is required to make from 50 to 150 full revolutions inside the centrifuge.
In any case, such gravitational therapy will be necessary for long-term (More than a month) space travel along with other preventive measures, used today on the ISS, and then a bunch of people, probably, will survive".
postscript.
The issue of creating artificial gravity is approached with extreme caution., studying the impact of rotating systems on the body and human health for decades. After all, when will technology allow the creation of such modules and space structures, we must be ready for this in all aspects.
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