© Vast Space Startup Vast Space hopes to build a rotating space station to create artificial gravity for visiting astronauts.Launching a new space station with artificial gravity on Earth.
Crypto-backed company Vast Space has announced plans to build space stations with artificial gravity to increase what the company calls “human productivity” in orbit. Vast Space was founded by Jed McCaleb, the billionaire behind the launch of three major crypto companies, including Bitcoin exchange Mt.Gox.
Critics say cryptocurrency is not a sustainable form of financing and that few people are benefiting from cryptocurrency trading. McCaleb is also the founder of the non-profit Astera Institute, which focuses on "high-performance" scientific and technological research.
“I have always believed in using technology to reduce inefficiencies and improve people’s lives,” McCaleb said in a company statement when he presented the project during World Satellite Business Week and the International Astronautical Congress 2022, which will be held in Paris, to increase the number of people in space, we need to create technology that provides resistance Ideal.to be held this month.
See also: The company will build a special space station "Voyager" with artificial gravity
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However, Vast Space did not provide any specifics in its press release about where they plan to go next. Fast says it's putting together a world-class team as it's progressing rapidly through several subsystem development tests, demonstrating that the technology is at best in the early stages of development. (One of the advisors is Hans Koenigsmann, former Vice President of SpaceX.)
While microgravity is harmful to bones, blood, and other systems in the human body, artificial gravity is still a difficult concept to apply, even though we've seen it everywhere in science fiction since the 2001 classic movie The Stars. . ".Track" for later films such as "Interstellar" or "Passengers".
Related: "Mars" author: If we're serious about going to Mars, we need artificial gravity
One popular concept, the O'Neill cylinder, uses extremely massive anti-rotation cylinders to simulate gravity. (Jeff Bezos, owner of space exploration company Blue Origin, is among those proposing to use it to build floating space settlements.)
However, unfortunately, O'Neill's cylinders must be 20 miles (32.2 km) long and 4 miles (6.4 km) in diameter, which is too large for our current technology. Researchers at the University of Boulder in Colorado have proposed room-scale circular systems as a potential alternative.
Another startup, Orbital Assembly Corporation, announced plans last year to build a space station with artificial gravity by 2025. The company said at the time that the company's team included NASA experts and various engineers.
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