International Space University variable gravity research facility design

A manned mission to Mars will require long travel times between Earth and Mars. However, exposure to long-duration zero gravity is known to be harmful to the human body. Some of the harmful effects are loss of heart and lung capacity, inability to stand upright, muscular weakness, and loss of bone calcium. A variable gravity research facility (VGRF) that will be placed in low Earth orbit (LEO) was designed by students of the International Space University 1989 Summer Session held in Strasbourg, France, to provide a testbed for conducting experiments in the life and physical sciences in preparation for a mission to Mars. This design exercise was unique because it addressed all aspects concerning a large space project. This report describes the VGRF design that was developed by international participants specializing in the following areas: the politics of international cooperation; engineering, architecture; in-space physiological, materials, and life science experimentation; data communications; and business and management.

[1]  A Graybiel.  Significance of vestibular organs in problems of weightlessness. , 1963, Life sciences and space research.

[2]  A GRAYBIEL,et al.  HUMAN PERFORMANCE DURING TWO WEEKS IN A ROOM ROTATING AT THREE RPM. , 1964, Aerospace medicine.

[3]  A Graybiel,et al.  Progressive adaptation to Coriolis accelerations associated with 1-rpm increments in the velocity of the slow rotation room. , 1970, Aerospace medicine.

[4]  J. E. Earl.  Artificial gravity space station physiological effects and design criteria , 1971 .

[5]  I. Sinclair,et al.  The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties: The Consequences of Participation and Nonparticipation , 1974, Proceedings of the ASIL Annual Meeting.

[6]  R. Stechman.  Performance and verification of the space shuttle reaction control thrusters , 1975 .

[7]  David S. McKay,et al.  Mining and beneficiation of lunar ores , 1979 .

[8]  Hans S. Rauschenbach,et al.  Solar-cell array design handbook , 1980 .

[9]  B. Clark.  Chemistry of the Martian surface - Resources for the manned exploration of Mars , 1984 .

[10]  Robert Pignataro,et al.  The spinning artificial gravity environment: A design project , 1987 .

[11]  Judith J. Watson,et al.  Space truss construction studies , 1988 .

[12]  G. Losquadro,et al.  Options for the European data relay system , 1988 .

[13]  S. W. Johnson,et al.  Engineering, construction, and operations in space; Proceedings of the Space '88 Conference, Albuquerque, NM, Aug. 29-31, 1988 , 1988 .

[14]  D. Mccowan,et al.  Variable gravity research facility , 1988 .

[15]  L. Lemke.  An artificial gravity research facility for life sciences , 1988 .

[16]  J. H. Peebles,et al.  SPACE STATION ERECTABLE TRUSS JOINT EVALUATION , 1988 .

[17]  P. Iles,et al.  Gallium arsenide technologies in photovoltaic conversion , 1989 .

[18]  Sheila G. Bailey,et al.  Design strategies for the International Space University's variable gravity research facility , 1990 .