Comments by "leapdrive" (@leapdrive) on "Bigelow Aerospace Is Building The World's First Space Hotel | Answers With Joe" video.

  1. Lenard..., the whole point is to live and work in space long term.
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  2. Roger...., what would be a more complex design and maintenance pron, a station with non-rotating section or, a station that has all its parts rotating? Can docking be accomplished with the docking capsule set to rotate at the same angular velocity by using mini-thrusters facing tangential to the circumference of the capsule? Don't forget, in space if you ignored the stars and planets, you wouldn't know your speed, your angular velocity and orientation.
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  3. Roger, the station I'm referring to wouldn't be conducting zero gravity research. It would be more of a utility/military type. I think the ISS is already doing a fantastic job doing all kinds of research. Any constructions in space should be in an isolated part of space where workers can traverse the station at short distance. Their machine shop can just float out there, A ship may be bothered by stopping its spin for maintenance...yes. I'd take that small sacrifice for the benefit of gravity. Imagine how less complicated its internal facilities, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom would be if they're designed for gravity? Perhaps not as simple because things need to be bolted down in case of zero gravity but, they would be of simpler design and less costly. There's also the health benefit. An American astronaut is on a YouTube video narrating the ill effects he had to endure having been on zero gravity for more than 400 days. It's unbelievable how he survived the aftermath. His legs swelled up like elephant legs, literally. Try as his wife did, she couldn't feel his ankle bone. That was only one of the many issues. People of less stamina and age would have easily died. I think Elon Musk's Martian project is starting on the wrong foot. I think his first step is right: sending a fuel processor and other equipment on Mars. However, the next step is to send a space ship that doubles as a space station to permanently orbit Mars. Then at least 2- shuttles would shuttle the crew to and from Mars for a couple of weeks then get replaced by another crew. Other ships from earth can follow with more shuttles and would permanently dock to enlarge the space station. Eventually, a shuttle spaceship can replace the crews from earth. Musk seems to be making his Mars venture for a one-way trip. This could spell human disaster which can eventually discourage other Martian ventures.
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  4. Roger, the full rotating station will need its tangential and central thrusters to adjust itself. I don't expect adjustments will be necessitated often but, they should be there. Yes, I was suggesting this on the size of an O'Neil cylinder and you don't need to dock more than two cargo and passenger shuttles at a time. Why would you need more? The shuttle should be symmetrical in design and docking approach would be much like a simple Nintendo game. Don't forget, space is perfectly still and the only forces would be the thrusters which can be computer controlled as well. This concept is maintenance-free in that there's no bearings while the stationary center type can produce catastrophic failures. Station design would be much simpler if you consider power cables and piping connections and accessing to and from the stationary center and the centrifuge.
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  5. Roger..., for huge space stations, parking in the central shaft may be doable rather than the docking old fashioned way. A shaft door opens, the shuttle centers itself, does a spin, gets a go from station dispatcher upon achieving a synchronized spin and then enters and parks on an appointed location. Upon leaving, the shuttle centers itself, backs up to space and then de-spins to earth's inertial frame of reference. Please note, the changes to angular speeds are all done outside the central shaft. Depending upon the size of the central shaft, you can conceivably park multiple shuttles based on arrangements and shaft diameter. This space station concept is called the Leapdrive Space Station.
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  6. Roger, I'm not sure if there are real benefits to having a stationary central shaft. The only benefit I see is not having a cargo/passenger capsule achieve a synchronized spin but, this maneuver is really a simple maneuver considering the level of technology we have. Picture yourself in a void where there are no stars or celestial objects you can see as frame of reference. Would you know your speed, direction, spin or yaw movements? That is my argument with spin motion in space as well. It's only a matter of reference and, if your original reference complicates design/cost, go to another inertial frame of reference. Call it: stepping from one dimension to another if you will. External cameras can be programmed to show stationary views outside the station. In fact, I'd go one step further to suggest space ships and its shuttles going interplanetary can be designed this way to solve the issue of non-gravity. It would be a much simpler design, lower cost, safer, maintenance-free from huge bearings, gears, lubrication, cable and piping connections- anything frictional.
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  7. Roger, yes 2 years window plus transit time in zero gravity and on Mars for 1/3 gravity. This will not go well on the overall health of the crew and, it wouldn't be a true working colony if astronauts are subjected to adverse conditions. I still think my space station concept can do the same missions as yours with much simpler design and at lower cost. It's nice exchanging opinions with you. Have a good evening.
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