Artificial Gravity - (Space Technology Library) by Gilles Clément & Angeli Bukley (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

William H. Paloski, Ph. D. Human Adaptation and Countermeasures Office NASA Johnson Space Center Artificial gravity is an old concept, having gotten its start in the late in the 19th century when Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, considered by many to be the father of the Russian space program, realized that the human body might not respond well to the free fall of orbital space flight. To solve this problem, he proposed that space stations be rotated to create centripetal accelerations that might provide inertial loading similar to terrestrial gravitational loading. Einstein later showed in his equivalence principle that acceleration is indeed indistinguishable from gravity. Subsequently, other individuals of note, including scientists like Werner von Braun as well as artists like Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick, devised elaborate solutions for spinning vehicles to provide "artificial gravity" that would offset the untoward physiological consequences of spaceflight. By 1959, concerns about the then-unknown human responses to spaceflight drove NASA to consider the necessity of incorporating artificial gravity in its earliest human space vehicles. Of course, owing in part to the relatively short durations of the planned missions, artificial gravity was not used in the early NASA programs.

From the Back Cover

Protecting the health, safety, and performance of exploration-class mission crews against the physiological deconditioning resulting from long-term weightlessness during transit and long-term reduced gravity during surface operations will require effective, multi-system countermeasures. Artificial gravity, which would replace terrestrial gravity with inertial forces generated by rotating the transit vehicle or by short-radius human centrifuge devices within the transit vehicle or surface habitat, has long been considered a potential solution. However, despite its attractiveness as an efficient, multi-system countermeasure and its potential for improving the environment and simplifying operational activities, much still needs to be learned regarding the human response to rotating environments before artificial gravity can be successfully implemented.

This book reviews the principle and rationale for using artificial gravity during space missions, and describes the current options proposed, including a short-radius centrifuge contained within a spacecraft. In Artificial Gravity, experts provide recommendations on the research needed to assess whether or not short-radius centrifuge workouts can help limit deconditioning of physiological systems.

"Aided by an exquisite group of experts, Gilles Clement and Angie Bukley have managed to put together THE new, comprehensive reference book on artificial gravity. This book will be an essential resource for students, scientists, and program planners alike."

-Oliver Angerer, European Space Agency

"Drs. Gilles Clement and Angie Bukley have provided a unique book that looks at the practicability of artificial gravity, and have invited respected experts in the space flight community to contribute to this discourse. Like the early 1960 studies of artificial gravity, their book charts the future, guiding both seasoned investigators and students with the tools necessary for understanding the complex problems of artificial gravity and the effect of that environment on biological systems."

-Millard F. Reschke, NASA, The Johnson Space Center

Review Quotes

From the reviews:

"The book has grown out of the work of the ESA Topical Team on Artificial Gravity, which issued its Final Report in 2006. ... provide a useful summary of artificial-gravity research. The extent to which microgravity affects different physiological systems differently, and the complex-manner in which they all interact, was a real eye-opener to me. ... This would greatly increase its value as a resource for those engaged in the planning of future human space exploration." (Ian Crawford, The Observatory, Vol. 128 (1203), 2008)

About the Author

Gilles Clement is a neurophysiologist who has been involved in space research on astronauts since 25 years. He wrote "Fundamentals of Space Medicine" and "Fundamentals of Space Biology". He is coordinating the vision of a group of international scientists, doctors and engineers for validating the implementation of artificial gravity for long-duration, exploratory missions.

Angie Bukley is an aerospace control systems engineer who has over 20 years experience in the aerospace business working with NASA, the US Department of Defense, and the Aerospace Corporation. She is currently the Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at the Russ College of Engineering & Technology, Ohio University.