JAPANESE RESEARCHERS ARE DEVELOPING ARTIFICIAL-GRAVITY BUILDINGS FOR SPACE
World Economic Forum -
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Japanese researchers unveil renderings of an 'artificial gravity living facility' dubbed as 'The Glass'.
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'The Glass' prototype is designed for the atmospheric conditions on Mars and the Moon with a focus on artificial gravity.
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Creating an environment with Earth-like gravity is the key to thriving in space, explain the researchers.
Architects have conjured some odd-shaped space habitats over the years—airtight orbs, geodesic domes, and lantern-shaped structures among them. Japanese researchers, however, believe that the optimal extraterrestrial architecture is conical.
At a July 5 conference, a team from Kyoto University and the construction firm Kajima Corporation unveiled renderings of an “artificial gravity living facility” whose shape is conducive to approximating living conditions on earth. The 1,300-ft.-tall rotating structure, dubbed “The Glass,” is designed to complete a full rotation every 20 seconds, using centrifugal force to achieve the “normal gravity” humans are used to.
Designed for atmospheric conditions on Mars and the Moon, the team aims to erect a prototype of The Glass on the lunar surface by 2050, the local paper Asahi Shimbum reports.
A focus on artificial gravity research as the age of space tourism begins
The Japanese researchers say that creating an environment with Earth-like gravity is the key to thriving in space. “Without gravity, mammals might not be able to reproduce and their babies might not develop well,” the team explains in a press statement. “When a person grows under a zero or low gravity environment, their body would change so they wouldn’t be able to stand up on earth.”
