Carousel Space Habitat

This is an original idea I've been developing since 1995 for a beaded torus space habitat that uses rotation to generate gravity and a ring of domes that provide an Earth-like environment. 3D model produced using Bryce, music produced using Reason.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• carousel
• habitat
• o'neil
• cylinder
• stanford
• beaded
• torus
• bernal
• sphere
• alien8ted

[gizmoguyar]

I like it. The only objection I have would be the flat base. That would make each dome feel like a big hill. They would have to be concave, so that you always feel like you where standing on flat ground. Plus that way you could look across a "Valley" and see other towns etc. If it was flat, all the buildings and everything around the edge would not only experience a slightly stronger "Gravity", but would have to be built at an angle with reference to the ground.

[astrophonix]

@gizmoguyar A good point, but I think the difference in gravity from the centre to the rim of each dome would be undetectable to the inhabitants, being in the order of 1g at the centre and 0.95 g at the rim, with each dome being 800 metres in diameter it would be very difficult to feel the change as you walked across, and for larger domes the difference would be even less noticable.

[950horsepower]

I'm not sure we have materials strong enough for this.

[astrophonix]

@950horsepower Carbon nanotubes, strnger and lighter than steel, will be easily strong enough.

[donjaysus]

too wasteful in regards to ressources, instead of sprinkles and videoscreens either create a new atmosphere with currents or scrap the whole "rain and earthlike sky" thing and offer a spaceview or somin until we find a way to better recyle water and find a better energy source

[WaiWu]

not very efficient design to be honest, the other three that you mention before is much more plausible and cheaper. If i want to live in space, why would i want it to be exactly like earth?

[overusedoxymoron2003]

Would those smaller domes be used for habitation? Stating that they would have lighter gravity wouldnt make them an ideal choice for living there. But what may be a good idea is industrial applications. Perhaps mined materials from Luna or the asteroid belt could be transported there for processing and manufacture and then the product deployed to Earth. Such potent industries would be mineral extraction, microgravity construction of electronics, and Helium-3 extraction for fusion plants.

[gizmoguyar]

@astrophonix Wouldn't smaller domes with reference to the radius be less noticeable? Although I guess you're right, the differences would be negligible.

[gizmoguyar]

@Shonenut213 All those non sciency people who say the LHC will create black holes will be so afraid that stuff is going to fall on them from the other side of the "World."

[mrwinwin009]

@RussianBoyDAN I fear the human race will not get the picture until something devastating happens. Thats why it is important that people begin to think about this now. We can't wait until people brighten up.