Questions about the Coriolis Effect

On 18/09/2010, csmyth3025 wrote:
> A tethered arrangement for spacehabs brings with it a whole new level of
> complexity. Ingress and egress from the spacehabs would presumably be
> made by means of an air lock on the tethered "end" of the spacehab. Some
> means of transport to the central hub would be needed

That kind of thing is normally known as an 'elevator'.

> Aside from these complications, there's the matter of maintaining the
> mass balance between the two habitats so that the central hub and the
> center of rotation coincide. This requirement, the need to conserve
> angular momentum and the safety of redundancy will probably mean that
> each habitat will be attached to the central hub by at least two
> tethers. If a guest is "reeled in" to the central hub, a like amount of
> mass (perhaps another guest or the equivalent mass in supplies) will
> need to be "reeled out" to maintain the overall balance.

Elevator cars usually have a counterweight anyway.

You could also pump water around to adjust the centre of mass.

> Chris

--
-Ian Woollard