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NASA's 20-G centrifuge machine

blogs.zdnet.com — NASA scientists are using a 20-G centrifuge machine that can simulate up to 20 times the terrestrial gravity to evaluate the effects of hypergravity on humans. The goal of these experiments is to reduce the adverse effects that space travel can have on astronauts' physical heath but also to help the rapidly growing senior population.

Who dugg this? Made popular Apr 30, 2006

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  • Rice, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13Nope.
  • bigdoug2005, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8and possibly deadliest
  • zyntax, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8That would make the scariest rollercoaster in the world.
  • phelonius, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6they only put 12.5 g onto humans
    the 20 g's they use for their equipment
  • anudeglory, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7"So why do the call it a 20-G machine?"

    Because "a 20-G centrifuge machine can simulate up to 20 times the terrestrial gravity"

    wtf!?
  • B0jangles, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5My baby girl enjoys her washing machine sessions.
  • EricAnderton, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Meh, the one at Goddard is *much* more impressive. I've seen it - it's *huge*.

    http://library.gsfc.nasa.gov/flag/archives/v3n3_winter03/2.htm

    From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goddard_Space_Flight_Center)
    "The High Capacity Centrifuge located in Building 15 is a 30 g rotary accelerator capable of rotating 5,000 pound payloads at up to 30 RPM and is housed in its own circular building. Tilt fixtures allow the orientation of test articles in a wide range of attitudes and angles."
  • MeanQuestion, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4So that's why they were looking for new volunteers...
  • elpayo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5My friend Josh is a writer for Wired and he participated in the experiment.

    Bottom line: The G forces made his heart stop. He was flat line for 15 seconds.

    Article here: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.03/7g.html
  • Stevethegreat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2If money didn't go for space exploration it would wind up in some people's pocket (who would already be rich enough), certainly not to the third world. Space exploration on the other hand gives a chance for new sources of energy and generally more money to come. Think of the explorations age (15th-16th cent), Europeans could easily fund the poor ones instead of "pointless" expeditions, but at the end more money came in, Europe as a whole became richer (her inhabitants too).

    Now we live the first stages of space exploration age, think what NASA does as an investment for the good of everyone (including third world)
  • reverb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Lame. Poorly written blog entry.
  • blastednitro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Disney has one, called Space

    http://themeparks.about.com/cs/disneyparks/a/MissionSpacePre.htm
    http://themeparks.about.com/cs/disneyparks/l/blmspace1.htm

    And its been in the news recently because of a few deaths.. You can google it..

    I don't have the link right now for the company that makes it, but its centrifuge with several rotating pods. I think I recall it approching 5g?



  • cantoral, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This link gives you some roller-coaster physics:

    http://themeparks.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=themeparks&zu=http%3A%2F%2FCEC.chebucto.org%2FCo-Phys.html
  • hongy_r, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1imagine the uranium you could enrich with that thing!
  • nicepants, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@wpholmes

    If you followed your own logic, whatever money you spent to get yourself internet access should have been spent sponsoring a starving child.
  • FezzCB, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0thats insane. I'm a student pilot but got a backseat in an F/A-18 Super Hornet. We pulled about 6 G's and I felt like ***** afterwards. Needless to say, I didnt puked. I think the pilots had a bet going who could make the student hurl.
  • Darmichar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Thank you Elpayo, that was a very interesting and well written read.
  • shanal, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1hahhahaha, if i was drinking something I would have totally spit it out on that one bojangles
  • wpholmes, on 10/12/2007, -14/+5I'm all for the exploration of our universe, but I think we need to look at what's going on here first.
    I mean how much do you think a 20-G centrifuge costs to build? to design? to maintain?
    Think of what that money could be used for, people are dying around the world, from things we can solve.
    Wouldn't our money be better spent with them?
  • gypsyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -16/+0a 20-G centrifuge machine that can simulate up to 20 times the terrestrial gravity

    So why do they call it a 20-G machine again?
  • gypsyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -17/+0a 20-G centrifuge machine that can simulate up to 20 times the terrestrial gravity

    So why do the call it a 20-G machine?

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