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Old February 17th 11, 02:30 PM posted to sci.space.tech
Jonathan Thornburg [remove -animal to reply][_3_]
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Default Question about Centrifugal Gravity

James W wrote:
So a lot of movies, TV shows, illustrations, etc., show spacecraft
generating "gravity" via rotating hull sections. In many cases, this
rotating section spins around a stationary central hull.

The question I have for those more knowledgeable in this area than I
is: What is the connection between these two sections? Obviously
there shouldn't be a physical connection between the two hull sections
(right?). But would this mean space enough between the spinnning hull
and the stationary hull for the interior atmosphere to escape? Or is
it sealed somehow?


If you have separate rotating and non-rotating sections (as in, for
example, the movie "2010"), then yes, you need a rotating air-seal
between them. This takes a bit of effort for the engineers, but is
certainly possible.

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-- "Jonathan Thornburg [remove -animal to reply]"
Dept of Astronomy, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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