World Economic Forum - 
  • Japanese researchers unveil renderings of an 'artificial gravity living facility' dubbed as 'The Glass'.
  • 'The Glass' prototype is designed for the atmospheric conditions on Mars and the Moon with a focus on artificial gravity.
  • 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.

The team's artificial gravity living facility. Image: Kajima corporation.

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.”

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