4 ms·
NASA has unfortunately been neglecting low-gravity (centripetal acceleration) research. The only research I am aware of in this area was conducted by the Sovie
by nickff 11y ago
NASA has unfortunately been neglecting low-gravity (centripetal acceleration) research. The only research I am aware of in this area was conducted by the Soviet Union on mice, and (to the best of my recolection) they found that ~0.3G and relatively low RPM were required to maintain fitness. I agree with you that further work is required on this subject, as it could help future Martians to be healthier and more productive throughout their journey, but it does not seem to jive with NASA's current priorities. NASA has repeatedly rejected proposals for studies and experiments in this area.
- baobabaobab 11y agoNASA actually did a tethered artificial gravity experiment during Gemini with the target docking vehicle. They got it working, although they only spun it up to like .01g.
- nickff 11y agoFrom what I read, they were never even sure of what the centripetal acceleration (G-force) actually was, because of the uncertainty of the measurements. Either way, I suppose you could call this research, but I have always categorized this as a proof of concept of a potential research method. It should also be noted that NASA has had trouble with tethers in the past, due to vibrations along the wire(s) and orbital mechanics related issues.