![](https://jetsetnick.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/31322931.png)

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Most sci-fi films and video games that take place on a distant planet or a space station invent some sort of mechanism for artificial gravity. That way characters like Jean-Luc Picard or Master Chief aren't floating around the place like a balloon.

Long exposure to weightlessness can have serious negative effects on human body. It weakens and degrades the muscles and bones, causes heart and vision problems and some other changes in the body. Astronauts have to be in great shape and exercise even when they are up there, on the space station. That's why having some sort of simulated gravity is not only convenient because it holds us firmly on the "ground" and oriented, but it has many health benefits as well. Tim Peake said he felt like he had the [world's worst hangover](http://www.sciencealert.com/tim-peake-says-he-s-got-the-world-s-worst-hangover-after-six-months-in-space) after 6 months in space.

Even though it's been over fifty years since we went into space, problem of creating artificial gravity still remains. Because, as it turns out, it's a really hard and expensive endeavor. It can't just be produced from some sort of generator in a localized space.

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# Possible solution

Most explored and practical solution for a zero gravity problem involves centripetal force that would have the effect of pulling the subject towards the floor while it's linearly accelerating. In translation it means rotating the spaceship or a space station. Similar situation happens on one of those spinning roller coasters, where you feel weightless and your back are pulled against your sit. This concept of disc or cylinder shaped rotating object that serves as an artificial gravity generator is used in Arthur Clark's Space Odyssey, video game Halo, or TV series Babylon 5. 

If we throw this spinning disc out in space, we could easily calculate it's gravity force by multiplying radius of the rotating structure with the square of it's rotational speed:

	g = r * w^2

Theoretically, if we choose the radius and rotating speed of our object wisely, we could simulate Earth's 9.8 meters per second squared gravity. The smaller the rotating surface, the faster it needs to spin. 

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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2EHwT33YCAw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

*Back in 1960s NASA developed this huge centrifuge to simulate gravity. You can see that it's only the inertia carrying him forward while the centripetal force is pulling him towards the floor, preventing him from flying off.*

# Challenges

Being in an environment that spins so fast is not a pleasant experience as you might think. Coriolis effect (relative motion depending on the rotating reference frame) would cause physiological issues like dizziness and disorientation. Since your head is closer to the center of the disc you would feel less of the centripetal force in your head and, with it, less gravity. Condition human body is not used to.

Minimal radius of this disc that would be more or less convenient for astronauts to be in is around 100 meters, which is twice the length of International Space station.

Another big issue is cost. To send a kilogram of material into space it costs about $2700. That means the cost of the new, artificial gravity space station could be up to couple of trillion dollars.

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![](https://media.giphy.com/media/9tx0gy37p7oXu/giphy.gif)

Figuring out a way to create artificial gravity will vastly improve our experience and chances of exploring distant planets and objects like Mars. It may even be the key to developing life in space. Hopefully, it will happen soon enough.


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*Sources [1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6MmJAWjcZs), [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHKQIC5p8MU), [3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_force), Images [1](https://jetsetnick.wordpress.com/2010/12/21/review-for-halo-reach-360/), [2](http://giphy.com/gifs/space-9tx0gy37p7oXu)*

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