On 15/02/2011 10:35 PM, 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?

Sorry if this is a beginner's or nitpicker's question; it's just
something that I've been wondering about for a while.

Thanks in advance to everyone who'll help me expand my knowledge
here.

--James


In 2001 A Space Odyssey, it was clear that the entire rotating assembly
was inside the non-rotating pressure hull, so that the issue of air
leakage didn't arise.

In Mission to Mars, that was not the case, and it would have required
some kind of sliding hermetic seal which is probably not feasible.

In practice, the most obvious solution seems to be to rotate the entire
spacecraft, but doing that removes many of the cinematically interesting
scenes.

Sylvia.