"ROBERT SAYRE" wrote to "MATT MC_CARTHY" (22 Feb 03  20:20:00)
 --- on the topic of "Columbia's 'computers'"

 RS> Second, the centrifugal force would also help to
 RS> stablize the station in space.

 RS> I envision a station that looks like a wide
 RS> cylinder where you could walk on the inside "wall"
 RS> of the cylider and make a complete circle back to
 RS> your starting point. Your head would point towards
 RS> the center of the station at all times. The faster
 RS> the station spun, the stronger the "gravity", so
 RS> you could create just the amount of "gravity" that
 RS> you wanted.

Kind of like the space wheel envisioned in the movie "2001... etc."
The thing is they have to be very big to keep the rate of rotation low
to allow for easy docking at the central hub. As you know centripetal
force is proportional to the "square" of the angular velocity. To have
the same force in a smaller wheel, it would have to turn a lot faster!

 Mike
 ****

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