To get Artificial Gravity on the Moon, you'd Need a Giant Rotating Lunar Base

There are a number of challenges associated with living and working in space. Radiation is included as locations beyond Earth's protective magnetosphere are exposed to greater levels of solar and Cosmic rays. Since the International Space Station is too far to rely on regular resupply missions, there is a need for self- sufficiency. Low gravity is important for long-term missions and habitats outside of Earth. We need to come up with solutions to this issue in advance.

The idea of creating rotating habitats in space that mimic artificial gravity is a popular one. A group of Japanese researchers propose a rotating habitat on the moon. On July 5th, representatives from Kyoto University and the Kajima Corporation (one of the oldest and largest construction companies in Japan) announced that they would be partnering to conduct a study on the idea of living on the Moon and Mars.

Kyoto University and the Kajima Corporation collaborated to conduct the study. The announcement was made during a press conference. Professor Yosuke Yamashiki of Kyoto University and Takuya Ohno of the Architectural Design Department at Kajima Construction shared a video of their plan to live on the Moon and Mars.

The effects of microgravity on humans are well documented. It has been established that astronauts will experience a loss in muscle mass and bone density as a result of long-term stays on the International Space Station. Losing bone strength is something astronauts never recover from. Changes in cardiovascular health are one of the effects.

There is currently no research into the effects of low-gravity on reproduction. If astronauts and regular folk want to live on the Moon they need to address this. The situation on Mars is slightly better than it is on Earth. It's been suggested that structures that spin to create centripetal force would be in Earth-gravity.

The idea behind the facility is to allow astronauts to live and work in a simulation of Earthgravity. Professor YamaShiki explained.

“Mars and the Moon are much smaller (surface gravity) than Earth. I wonder if humans will eventually live in these places… It is not known if mammals can breed and grow normally in a space with low gravity such as the moon. However, the gravity inside ‘Lunagrass’ is the same as that of the earth, and it is possible to give birth, and if you live here, you can maintain a body that can return to the Earth at any time.”

The concept is similar to an O'Neill Cylinder, except that it stands and rotates on its side and is shaped like a funnel. A lattice structure at the base of the funnel distributes the facility's weight over a larger surface area. A high-speed train is responsible for transportation from the funnel to the moon or between points inside.

There are bodies of water, landmasses with greenery and trees, and a transportation network that allows people to travel throughout. There are even motorboats driving on the water as the people in the video walk along the wall as if it were real. There is a body of water at the base of the funnel that is not subject to centripetal force.

The Earth-Moon transport is one of the ideas addressed in the presentation. The names of these are the "Luna Beagle" and "Space Express". The animation shows a hexagonal shaped vessel with modules extending from a central spoke that rotates to provide artificial gravity for everyone inside. Professor YamaShiki said that.

The research on transportation methods using "artificial gravity" has begun. I want to create a lunar beagle that runs on the moon and a space express that travels between stars. It would be better to tow the Space Express with a rocket.

There is an obvious issue of costs and the inevitable engineering challenges of building this type of structure on the moon. The topic of how this structure would be built did not come up during the presentation. Would it be assembled on Earth or in space and then sent to the moon? Would the job be done by a combination of humans and machines?

Ohno admitted that the Lunagrass concept is not an actual mission architecture. He said that it could be feasible in the near future. Dream story ideas like this are important as we embark on a renewed era of space exploration that will include permanent habitats on the Moon and Mars.

He said that it was important to come up with ideas at this point. I would like to go to the moon. I would like to go to Mars. I would like to see the concept of the Moon in a different way in the future.