Category Archives: Living in Space

Living in Space, Space Systems

Space travel and the spin on the gravity of the situation

It always annoys me when some article or TV report says “space travel causes [some ailment]” when what they really mean is that prolonged weightlessness causes that ailment. We are, after all, traveling in space right now. We just happen to be traveling on a modest sized object that grips us to its surface with a level of gravity to which we have become accustom.

The Moon and Mars also have gravity and we don’t know yet if the levels of gravity on those bodies are sufficient to maintain good health for long stays.

In free space, we can rotate our habitat so as to create apparent gravity via the centrifugal effect.  This is referred to as artificial gravity or spin gravity. So far, no space station has been constructed to do this. This is basically for two reasons: (1) The main goal of the stations was to use microgravity for a range of basic and applied research areas; (2) It was simpler and cheaper to build non-rotating stations.

Here’s an article that discusses this missing piece in our in-space infrastructure: Why Don’t We Have Artificial Gravity? – Popular Mechanics.

Eventually though, practical spacefaring will require the implementation of spin gravity and the sooner we start to develop ways to do it, the better.

Joe Carroll gave an informative online course on the Space Show in which he reviewed a wide range of issues involved in spin gravity: Lesson Three Presentation Material, 5-3-11 – The Space Show Classroom Blog

He is an expert on tethers and the first implementation of spin gravity will most likely involve connecting a habitat to a counter-weight via a long tether. The rotation rate of this “dumbbell” arrangement can be much lower for a given level of spin gravity compared to rotating a modest sized structure. It will be awhile before we can build a large wheel shaped station like that seen in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

You can use the online tool SpinCalc to vary values of spin gravity for different spin rates, radii and tangential velocities.

The Space Studies Institute is proposing the development of the orbital G-Lab to study the effects of long term exposure to fractional levels of earth’s gravity on lab animals:

Update:  A good review of many aspects of spin gravity: Gravity in the Elysium Space Station – Wired Science/Wired.com.

Living in Space, Space Settlement

Mars settlement – not as far fetched as it used to be

Science writer Marc Kaufman writes about the growing realization that creating settlements on Mars and elsewhere in space in the not so distant future is not an impossible fiction but something that might actually be doable: Human mission to Mars is no longer just a sci-fi dream – The Washington Post.

There certainly will be no shortage of people wanting to go as discussed in this recent post about applicants for the Mars One settlement project. (See also this BBC report and video about Mars One and the flood of applicants: Prospect of one-way Mars trip captures the imagination – BBC)

By far the biggest challenge is lowering the cost of getting to space. Progress is being made on that front by new companies like SpaceX, which is aiming to develop a fully reusable rocket system that could lower the costs by as much as 100 times below today’s average space transport prices. The amazing video below shows a recent test of a prototype first stage booster that is demonstrating vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. (You can follow progress in new rocket vehicle development at NewSpace Watch, where I post daily on the latest developments.)

In the following video, Elon Musk, founder and chief of SpaceX, talks with Salman Khan of Khan Academy about a range of topics including lowering the cost of rockets and Mars settlements:

Living in Space, Space Settlement

Long queue for Mars One pioneering + Adapting to different gravities

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When the cost of putting people on Mars drops to an affordable range, there will be no shortage of people wanting to go there to build a new world: Life on Mars to become a reality in 2023, Dutch firm claims: Thousands apply to become one of four astronauts selected to set up a human colony in a plan that comes with snags – guardian.co.uk.

Regarding the effects of living for a long period in gravity that’s 38% of that on earth, we don’t know the effects. The only data on fractional gravity is from the Apollo astronauts that spent a few days on the Moon and this was too short a time to have any effect.

To answer such questions, the Space Studies Institute has proposed the G-Lab, a rotating tethered habitat system for doing long term animal studies at different gravity strengths.

For a Mars settlement plan, it is not unreasonable to make the working assumption that it would be too dangerous to attempt to re-adapt to earth. However, my guess is that it will in fact be quite possible for a long term Mars resident to adapt to Earth’s gravity. The fundamental physical capacity to withstand that level of gravity will remain and can be retrained.

Ultimately, it would make sense to have a transport system traveling from Mars to Earth to provide rotation to generate spin gravity. This would allow for the gravity to be gradually increased from 0.38g to 1.0g over the course of the months long trip and allow passengers to gradually adapt to Earth conditions.

Activism, Living in Space, Space Settlement

Video: The Mars One astronaut selection program briefing

The Mars One organization had a press conference event in New York City today to talk about the selection of Applicants for their plan to put a settlement on Mars. The panel included:

  • Bas Lansdorp, Co-Founder and CEO, Mars One
  • Gerard ‘t Hooft, Nobel laureate and Ambassador of Mars One
  • Norbert Kraft, Chief Medical Officer, Mars One
  • Grant Anderson, Sr. VP Operations, Chief Engineer and Co-Founder, Paragon Space Development Corporation
  • Bryan Versteeg, Mission Concept Artist, Mars One

The event was  moderated by Emily Lakdawalla, Senior Editor at the Planetary Society.

Update: Here is a press release from Mars One:

Mars One starts its search for the first humans on Mars

NEW YORK, Monday, 22nd April 2013 – Mars One is happy to announce the launch of its astronaut selection program today. The search has begun for the first humans to set foot on Mars and make it their home.

Mars One invites would-be Mars settlers from anywhere in the world to submit an online application via apply.mars-one.com.

This online application will be the first of the four rounds that together make the Mars One selection procedure. Round One will run for over five months and end on 31st August 2013. Applicants selected at the end of this round will include the first crew that will land on Mars in 2023. Mars One selection committees will hone the search for the first crew in three subsequent rounds and further training.

“We are very excited about launching the selection program. Round One is where we open the doors to Mars for everyone on Earth. This is an international mission and it is very important for the project that anyone anywhere can ask themselves: Do I want this? Am I ready for this? If the answer is yes then we want to hear from you,” said Bas Lansdorp, co-founder of Mars One.

In the last year Mars One received 10,000 messages from prospective applicants from over 100 countries. Mars One expects an unprecedented number of applications and even more internet users visiting the application website to support their favorite candidates.

Applicants are given the choice of publicly sharing and promoting their application page. While Mars One experts will choose which candidates progress to Round 2, everyone will have the opportunity to know the aspiring settlers and give them their vote of confidence.

Applicants will pay a small administration fee that varies across nations according to their per capita GDP. The variable fee makes the program equally accessible for applicants from all nations and also reduces the number of insincere entries.

“For this mission of permanent settlement we are more concerned with how well each astronaut lives and works with others and their ability to deal with a lifetime of challenges.”

“Gone are the days when bravery and the number of hours flying a supersonic jet were the top criteria,” said Norbert Kraft, Mars One’s Chief Medical Director and former NASA senior researcher.

“For this mission of permanent settlement we are more concerned with how well each astronaut lives and works with others and their ability to deal with a lifetime of challenges.”

Throughout the astronaut selection program, Mars One will select applicants who have good physical and mental health and show five key character traits: Resilience, Adaptability, Curiosity, Ability to trust others, and Creativity/Resourcefulness.

In the last stage when 24-40 candidates have been fully trained and qualified, the final decision of choosing the first settlers will be decided by an audience vote.

“In a 1000 years, everyone on Earth will still remember who the first humans on Mars were, just like Neil Armstrong has etched in our memories forever. This makes the selection of the first crew to a different planet a very important election; in my opinion more important than most elections. We hope the whole world will join Mars One in our democratic search of the envoys of mankind to Mars, ” Lansdorp said.

About Mars One
The Mars One Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that will send humans to Mars in 2023 to establish the first permanent settlement outside Earth. Before the first settlers land on Mars a self-sustaining habitat will be set up with help of rovers and more settlers will follow every two years. A realistic mission plan has been designed using only existing technology available through the private space industry. The first footprint on Mars will fascinate and inspire generations; it is this public interest that will help finance this human mission to Mars.