Quote:
Originally Posted by neilzero
Since the ISS is much heavier, the center of rotation would likely be approximately on the ball baring ring of the modual fastened to the ISS.
|
A perfectly acceptable alternative would be to make the anchor relatively light, and simply extend the tether. A large, dead satellite retrofitted with a simple remote-controlled, solar-powered ion engine would work nicely.
Quote:
|
My guess is 1/10 th g would not be significantly different from zero gravity as far as bone loss and other zero gravity health problems are concerned...
|
Your guess is correct.
Quote:
|
...but we would learn how much the corriellis effect harmed humans.
|
The studies were done 40 years ago.
We already know. There is absolutely
no reason whatsoever to repeat previously accomplished, extensive, and expensive testing, particularly when doing so in space probably costs 10,000 to 100,000 times more, in constant dollars (today's dollars), than the testing (and results) which are already on the books, and have been for four decades.
In fact, the first studies of the Coriolis illusion (more appropriately called the Coriolis effect, as per what's in most psychological texts) were conducted prior to WWII, to discover why even experienced fighter pilots sometimes augered in for no apparent reason.
In the 60's and 70's, additional tests were conducted to determine the optimum rate of revolution for orbital colonies.
Quote:
|
Model two might need a lot longer tether than 100 meters (to reduce corriellis effect)
|
Why merely reduce it when you can eliminate it simply by ensuring the axis of rotation of the body and the counterweight is parallel to the Earth's axis of rotation?
Quote:
|
...plus some beefing up of the ISS where there was even slight evidence of metal fatige.
|
Beefing up is expensive.
Quote:
|
By now we would have spent perhaps 20 billion dollars, so you can understand NASA is not anxious to run a test like this.
|
Exactly. Particularly when NASA itself already did the studies and has the answers on some shelf. What NASA needs is a feather duster, not a $20 Billion tether experiment.
Quote:
|
Worse, If a micro meterorite or bit of space junk severs the tether abruptly, the life support module would be flung away from the ISS, possibly with eventual fatal results for the occupants of the life support module.
|
For the ISS/module pair, that wouldn't be very good for either, particularly the model.
For a small counterweight at the end of a long tether, it wouldn't be so bad, and a recovery is easier than you might imagine, provided the unit had fuel and a thrust. We're not talking escape velocity, here. We're talking tangential delta-V which would correspond to an angular velocity of 1 rpm and a radius r which would impart a 1 G acceleration to the unit at that angular velocity.
Quote:
|
Coerriellus effect will be severe on the mice planned for the MIT bio satellite. Neil
|
Terrific. Watching mice puke at $100 Million a heave.
What did NASA do? Hide the plans and play dumb to get funding for something that can be (alreay has been) easily simulated on the Earth (just like they did 40 years ago...)?