Artificial Gravity

Artificial gravity also known as rotational gravity refers to the inertial force that mimics the effects of a gravitational force, usually by rotation.

Making Artificial Gravity a reality

In movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Martian people have seen imaginary spacecraft generating their own gravity by spinning around in space. Now a team from the University of Colorado at Boulder is working on making such technology a reality.

The team’s lead researcher Torin Stark demonstrates artificial gravity by laying down on a metal platform, part of a machine called a short-radius centrifuge. The platform then begins to rotate around the room, gathering more and more speed. The angular velocity generated by the centrifuge pushes Clark’s feet toward the base of the platform as if he was standing under his own weight.

The university researchers described this as is the closest that scientists on Earth can get to how artificial gravity in space might work.

The scientists hope that they will able to develop revolving systems that might fit within a room of future space stations. The astronauts would crawl into these rooms for a few hours a day to get their daily doses of gravity. This will allow humans to travel farther from Earth than ever before and stay away longer.


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