Re: Keith Cowing on microgravity research

Jeff Findley wrote:
Keith Cowing on microgravity research (on the front page of NASA Watch today):

"Although the International Space Station remains a budgetary priority, some scientists feel that its usefulness for carrying out scientific research has already been diminished, by, for example, the cancellation of a large centrifuge seen as essential for biological research. That cancellation, says Keith Cowing of the watchdog website NASA Watch, will "set back the ability" to develop ways to prevent the loss of muscle and bone by astronauts in prolonged weightlessness. And yet, he says, President Bush's exploration initiative is supposed to be leading toward trips to "Mars and beyond," where such measures will be essential."


I think research should be done in three areas:

Find human tolerance to angular velocity.

Find human tolerance to acceleration gradient

Find minimum gravity needed to keep humans healthy.



If acceleration gradient of 8.33% per meter is acceptable, a 12.5 meter tether radius is OK.

If you wanted Martian gravity, a 12.5 meter radius would have to be spun more than 5 rpm which is probably too high.

Some studies seem to indicate 4 rpm is acceptable for a segment of the population. With a 12.5 meter radius tether this would give almost a 1/5 of a gee.

Is 1/5 of a gee enough to prevent kidney stones, etc.? Who knows?

Knowing this stuff might make Mars trips easier. It'd also be useful knowledge for orbital habitats, asteroid mining, etc.

Hop
.