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Given the name I was under the impression that this would be a rotating module to create artificial gravity, but it seems instead it is just a large capsule.

gary_0 2y ago
I was wondering that too, and if there actually were any projects working towards rotating space habitats. > However, there are no current practical outer space applications of artificial gravity for humans due to concerns about the size and cost of a spacecraft necessary to produce a useful centripetal force ... Scientists are concerned about the effect of such a system on the inner ear of the occupants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_gravity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_gravity Looks like visitors to space will have to keep dealing with zero-gee for the foreseeable future.
- jandrese 2y ago
  IMHO the concerns that people won't be able to handle the rotation are under tested. While I'm sure there are people who won't be able to handle it just like there are people who can't put on VR goggles without barfing, I suspect the average human could tolerate it just fine. I would love to see a pair of Starships hooked together with a sturdy cable a couple of dozen meters long and then spun around each other to simulate gravity.
  - Asraelite 2y ago
    A pair of Starships isn't even necessary. You could do it with a counterweight. Honestly the counterweight approach seems like a pretty easy experiment to try, I don't know why it hasn't been done yet.
    - resolutebat 2y ago
      Where are you going to find a counterweight in space? Launching two Starships is much easier than trying to capture an asteroid or something.
      - Asraelite 2y ago
        Bring it with you and deploy it. It doesn't need to have the same mass as a Starship, just a significant fraction would do.
Terr_ 2y ago
When it comes to singular revolving modules, they need to be above a certain size, otherwise the Coriolis effects will just disorient everyone inside. An extreme example to illustrate would be a small module with a radius that equals the height of a stationary standing occupant. Their feet would feel normal, but their head would still be "weightless" and getting very dizzy. Actually moving is even worse: Not only would the weights of objects vary depending on their "height", but "falling" objects would seem to have curved paths, so your sometimes-heavy feet would keep "missing" the place you intended to put them down. If you split the module into two with a tether or girder in-between (or replace one half with a dumb counterweight) that reduces the Coriolis effect... but now you've got something that alternately sweeps through space in a kinda-dangerous way, and it becomes harder to safely enter or exit. TLDR: Spinning becomes useful on scales we aren't ready to do yet.

gary_0 2y ago

I was wondering that too, and if there actually were any projects working towards rotating space habitats. > However, there are no current practical outer space applications of artificial gravity for humans due to concerns about the size and cost of a spacecraft necessary to produce a useful centripetal force ... Scientists are concerned about the effect of such a system on the inner ear of the occupants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_gravity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_gravity Looks like visitors to space will have to keep dealing with zero-gee for the foreseeable future.

jandrese 2y ago
IMHO the concerns that people won't be able to handle the rotation are under tested. While I'm sure there are people who won't be able to handle it just like there are people who can't put on VR goggles without barfing, I suspect the average human could tolerate it just fine. I would love to see a pair of Starships hooked together with a sturdy cable a couple of dozen meters long and then spun around each other to simulate gravity.
- Asraelite 2y ago
  A pair of Starships isn't even necessary. You could do it with a counterweight. Honestly the counterweight approach seems like a pretty easy experiment to try, I don't know why it hasn't been done yet.
  - resolutebat 2y ago
    Where are you going to find a counterweight in space? Launching two Starships is much easier than trying to capture an asteroid or something.
    - Asraelite 2y ago
      Bring it with you and deploy it. It doesn't need to have the same mass as a Starship, just a significant fraction would do.

Terr_ 2y ago

When it comes to singular revolving modules, they need to be above a certain size, otherwise the Coriolis effects will just disorient everyone inside. An extreme example to illustrate would be a small module with a radius that equals the height of a stationary standing occupant. Their feet would feel normal, but their head would still be "weightless" and getting very dizzy. Actually moving is even worse: Not only would the weights of objects vary depending on their "height", but "falling" objects would seem to have curved paths, so your sometimes-heavy feet would keep "missing" the place you intended to put them down. If you split the module into two with a tether or girder in-between (or replace one half with a dumb counterweight) that reduces the Coriolis effect... but now you've got something that alternately sweeps through space in a kinda-dangerous way, and it becomes harder to safely enter or exit. TLDR: Spinning becomes useful on scales we aren't ready to do yet.