Where is my von Braun Wheel?
20 hours ago
- #space-technology
- #artificial-gravity
- #space-exploration
- Artificial gravity is essential for long-term space habitation to prevent muscle atrophy, bone weakening, and other health issues.
- Early designs like von Braun's rotating wheel space stations were sidelined by the Apollo program, delaying orbital settlements.
- Engineering challenges include the need for large structures to create sufficient gravity, which must fit into slender rockets.
- Modular assembly, like the ISS, is limited in scale and ambition compared to unitized or inflatable structures.
- Historical concepts like inflatable Goodyear tire tubes and rigid hexagonal stations were explored but faced material limitations.
- Commercial interest in artificial gravity is resurging, with companies like Vast planning 40-person stations by 2035.
- Inflatable habitats, like the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, offer potential solutions with modern high-strength fabrics.
- Starship's payload capacity could enable large inflatable stations, but material strength in rotating torus shapes remains untested.
- Tethered modules could provide a simpler alternative to rigid wheels, allowing longer radii and gentler rotation.
- Regulatory and funding challenges, along with technological hurdles, must be addressed to realize ambitious space habitats.