Fitting that much product in a single rocket launch so far has shown difficult. But, Dr. Manchester and his group think they have found a prospective service to the difficult issue– a “high-expansion-ratio deployable structure” or HERDS. HERDS themselves use 2 novel mechanical innovations– shearing auxetics and branched scissor systems.
When pulled in a chiral pattern, shearing auxetics are a novel type of metamaterial that will expand. The level of chirality can likewise control the stiffness of the material. They seem to be acquiring traction in robotic applications as direct actuators and grippers, but their usage case in space has yet to be shown.
Video showing shearing auxetics in action. Credit: Lillian Chin YouTube Channel
Branched scissor mechanisms are another way to deploy a larger structure from a compact one. Initially developed by Youtuber and artist Henry Segerman, branched scissor mechanisms snap into much bigger structures from more compact ones. You can even buy a demo kid yourself from Shapeways, once again, the structures havent yet been used in space.
Video showcasing branched scissor mechanisms. Credit: Henry Segerman
Ideally, one or both of these systems would work to produce the structure of a kilometer-scale area habitat capable of rotating at a speed that would sufficiently imitate Earths gravity. Drs. Manchester, Lipton and their group believe they can make use of these innovations to produce tubular structures that can broaden up to 150 times their size when packaged in a rocket fairing.
Originally published on Universe Today.
An alternative approach that may get rid of some of these problems is “simulated gravity,” which utilizes a spinning structure to develop centrifugal force that would have the very same impact on the body as gravity would. Still, NASA appears keen on the idea– to the tune of a $600,000 NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase II grant to a group from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the University of Washington (UW) who is looking to develop a structure that can imitate full Earth gravity and be released in a single rocket.
The project in question is “Kilometer-Scale Space Structure from a Single Launch,” which was at first confessed to the NIAC program last year. You can even purchase a demonstration kid yourself from Shapeways, however as soon as again, the structures havent yet been utilized in space.
Ideally, one or both of these systems would work to develop the structure of a kilometer-scale space habitat capable of rotating at a speed that would sufficiently simulate Earths gravity.
Graphic depiction of Kilometer-Scale Space Structures from a Single Launch. Credit: Zac Manchester
An option method that might get rid of some of these problems is “simulated gravity,” which utilizes a spinning structure to produce centrifugal force that would have the exact same effect on the body as gravity would. Still, NASA seems keen on the idea– to the tune of a $600,000 NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase II grant to a group from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the University of Washington (UW) who is looking to develop a structure that can imitate full Earth gravity and be launched in a single rocket.
The task in question is “Kilometer-Scale Space Structure from a Single Launch,” which was at first admitted to the NIAC program last year. Having fulfilled NASAs expectations as part of that program, the group, headed by teacher Zac Manchester of CMU and Jeffery Lipton of UW, were recently accepted as 2022 NIAC fellows.
Slide from a NIAC discussion on the Kilomter-scale structure. Credit: Zac Manchester & & Jeffery Lipton
This isnt the first NIAC job dealing with the concept of large structures in area. Once in space, NextBigFuture reported in 2021 on around a dozen NIAC financed jobs that would take benefit of brand-new metamaterials to significantly expand their size. NASA isnt alone in their support either– Chinas National Science Foundation has supported efforts to establish a kilometer-sized challenge the tune of $2.3 million.
Such big structures need large financial investment, but they also have big prospective benefits. There are 2 choices to reach Earths gravity using centrifugal forces. Either spin actually, truly quickly, or have a truly, truly big axis of rotation. Human beings, being the squishy bags of water that they are, dont actually like to spin extremely quick for long periods, as anyone who has actually ever gotten sick on a carnival flight can inform you. Science puts that rotational speed limitation for discomfort at around 3 RPM. To rotate at less than 3 RPM and still have the advantage of a full Earths worth of simulated gravity, the structure itself should be a kilometer long.