A Better Space Station?

[ThereIWas2]

The original design of the Space shuttle had larger external tanks that were going to be used as building blocks for a large wheel-like Station.

Kim Stanley Robinson's Red/Green/Blue Mars trilogy used exactly this technique to build the vehicle that took the first 100 settlers to Mars.

 

[tampaDreamer]

If they could make a centerfuge just for sleeping, perhaps that could solve the problem? That'd be 6-8 hours of gravity, and you'd only be worried about the sea-sickness aspect of it, not the coordination for precision tasks part. Furthermore I'm thinking they could test the sea-sickness bit here on earth.

 

[dreada5]

Engineering complexity.

I don't think such a space station is impossible, but neither do I think it's as easy as we imagine. ISS has taught us much, and as simple as ISS seems compared to a spinning station design - look how much trouble, in an operational sense, ISS gives NASA in terms of maintenance! I don't think we're ready, technically, yet.

As we turn over LEO to the private sector, I would hope commercial space industry can pursue something like this in decades to come. While NASA and other govt agencies focus on getting us onto the lunar or martian surface.

 

[rod]

hi guys i'm like some of you and don't have a lot of science data but i like the idea of an inflatible central 0-g facility with th spin and docking structure shipped up and then the inflatible section put on over or assembled latter . the spokes and framework could be made in orbit with beam machines a fancy version of what the seamless siding people use to make ribbed siding for homes, just make a structural beam instead. also has anyone thought of a spray on system ie. epoxy system to provide a sealed and reinforced structure -might work better on a moon base know that a lot of the process is liquid and may be h2o based Just a thought tho. i think segments for the rim could be like the esa's new cargo ships , why deorbit them stick the trash in a reinforced bag and let it burn up not a muti million dollar potential habitat.
love reading what you guys have to say keeps me on my toes reaching for the stars
rod