From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Wed Oct 25 2000 - 19:40:34 MDT
Rotation. For long-term inhabitance of micro-G environment, we need
centrifugal force in large to very large structures that rotate or are round
in nature. Hollow Donuts, Hollow Spheres, hollow cylanders--all larger then
anything we have ever had in space is need. Its tricks the cells that
comprise living matter to behave as if its subjected to a gravity field. The
heart pumps and blood pulls against a downward force, to be circulated back
thru the upper extremities and head. Chewed food gets pulled down to the
tummy (as with gravity) through centrifugal force (inertia). We need huge
structures in space to sustain biotic life. Silicon life or Biosilicate life
certainly will faire better.
In a message dated 10/25/2000 8:29:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
zebharadon@hotmail.com writes:
> Everyone here knows that the biggest problem for long term space travel, at
> least in our current biological state, is that the body begins to undergo a
> type of "space rot" in zero gravity, the muscles atrophy, the bones weaken,
> etc. This is most frequently mentioned as a serious barrier to a manned
> mission to Mars. On the ISS, astronauts will get two hours of excercise
> today. On Mir, and any shuttle mission, physical excercise is always
> practiced, and the astronauts are still phased when they return to Earth.
> These are missions of less then a year - missions in weightlessness lasting
> decades would probably kill us upon returning to a gravity environment.
> There needs to be some way to have the muscles in constant excercise, as
> they are here on Earth resisting gravity. Someone mentioned the idea of
> tethers, and correctly added that they will clutter up the craft. Here are
> some possible solutions I've thought of. Feel free to build on and
> implement
> them. I'll start with the worst ideas and move up. I'm sure science fiction
> authors have beaten me to most of these.
> 1. Have a constant downward air flow. Basically, the astronauts would live
> in a wind tunnel pushing them into the ground. They would need
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