PROJEX launched

I'm not a fan of settlements on Mars, but let's be fair to the Mars
advocates. I think that if they did create rotating habitats on Mars, that
they would engineer them so that the floors of the habitat would be normal
to the vector that results from the addition of the natural gravity force
of Mars plus the rotational acceleration. If the surface of Mars were
"flat" underneath the habitat, then the floors of the rotating habitat
would not be parallel to it. Indeed, I would expect the floors of such a
habitat to change angle relative to the ground as the distance from the
rotational axis increases --- nearly parallel to the ground close to the
rotational axis, and more inclined at the edge.

I could be wrong, but presently I'm not convinced that the
"leaning-to-the-edge" effect that you mention is an important detractor.

But clearly, a rotating habitat on Mars would still be much more of an
engineering headache than a rotating habitat in free space. So I agree
that a spinning habitat on Mars would be more costly than a comparable one
in free space --- your original point.

Ron Menich

"George
Perkins" To: spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com
ilbag.com> Subject: [spacesettlers] Re: PROJEX launched

08/31/01 04:48
AM
Please respond
to
spacesettlers

Oh. Sorry, Ryan.

Yes, the lower gravity of Mars is a negative, most likely, and
terraforming isn't going to change this. Spinning systems on Mars
would be costly and may not work well having too much of a "leaning-
to-the-edge" effect - certainly, if at all helpful, very unlike earth
which many Mars advocates think they can replicate.

George