A recent announcement has been made by Japanese researchers at Kyoto university and the Kajima Corporation, proposing an idea to build massive structures that create artificial gravity.
Plans beyond the earth
These structures, proposed by researchers in Japan, will be upside-down cone-shaped with structures, trees, and water inside its boundaries. This will rotate allowing for anything inside to be affected by its newly created artificial gravity in a process that’s called centripetal force.
It is suggested that these structures could help further space exploration and human civilization beyond earth. Currently spending any amount of time in space weakens bones and muscle density due to a lack of gravity. This means any lengthy journeys of several months or more in space are currently impossible — which is basically anywhere.
If anything like these plans come to fruition, it will allow humans to spend far longer in space; specifically, it could allow humans to colonise the moon or even mars.
Yet, we shouldn’t all get too carried away as it is suggested that a fully functional structure could be around 100 years off.
Science fiction becomes science reality.
You may have already seen similar ideas to what is being proposed in sci-fi films, specifically interstellar comes to mind. For those who haven’t seen it or those that are still a bit bewildered, a handy video by Kajima Corporation should help explain it.
Credit: Kajima co. Ltd.
In essence a similar thing is happening on earth right now except on the outside rather than the inside.
Alongside this proposal is the inclusion of interplanetary transport under the name of the hexatrack system. This is designed as an ultra fast way to travel between planets that uses the same centripetal force inside its carriages as the land-based structures as seen above.
If there was a way to implement this in space faring vehicles it would allow for much safer and much deeper space exploration, once again, like we have come to expect from almost all sci-fi films and series ever made — signalling how important this could become.
In reality
While it’s already been stated to be around 100 year before a finished product can be completed, researchers have also stated that they would like a simplified version to be completed by 2050.
The proposed ideas by Japanese researchers for artificial gravity have certainly piqued a lot of interest around the world, however there are other things to consider. Primarily the idea of transporting the required materials through space is something that is yet to be tested, as well as the idea of building on an alien world (so to speak).
On the other hand there is the idea of how technology and scientific advancement are always getting faster. Something seemingly impossible today may become simple a few years down the line. New discoveries may advance the scheduled timeline to be within our lifetimes.
Perhaps.
Nathan
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