Habitat projects
ESA topical team participation. The Altered Gravity Platform, also referred to as H3, is a scientific research facility consisting out of a rotating (centrifuge-like) platform within a weather-protecting shell. The purpose of this large facility is to create a permanent +1g environment for periods up to 6 months non-stop. This test environment will allow studying the effects of hyper gravity on the human body, effects to be expected during inter planetary traveling.
The dimensions and rotation speed of this platform are defined by scientific requirements establishing a minimum radius of 75m balancing the physical size of the system against acceptable angular velocity levels. The platform can rotate at different constant speeds resulting in stable g-levels but also g-level transitions can be performed. The nominal test range considered for this study goes up to 2,0g at the reference radius resulting in a rotation of 4,55 rpm, hence a linear speed on the reference radius of 35,69 m/s (128,50km/h).
It is BERTE’s role in the project to translate the scientific requirements into realistic concepts and solutions for the platform, its building and the other facilities that comes with it. A more detailed study is done on the habitat itself. This living and laboratory space located at the periphery of the platform has an inclined floor of which the angle continuously adapts to the rotation speed variations if they occur. This dynamic environment generates some interesting practical problems for the equipment used and the living areas design!
