The problem of artificial gravity: the present status and possible approaches
Kotovskaia, A.R.
Aviakosmicheskaia i Ekologicheskaia Meditsina 42(6): 74-83
2008
ISSN/ISBN: 0233-528X PMID: 19238919 Document Number: 619125
The author reviews the Russian and international literature on the potentialities of artificial gravity in extended piloted space flights, especially in view of the declared initiatives to set forth on exploration missions in the first part of this century. Physical deconditioning and loss of tolerance to the gravitational loads consistently have their effects on cosmonauts despite the large assortment of in-flight preventive procedures. Effectiveness of artificial gravity generated by the short-arm centrifuge (SAC) has been assessed in experiments simulating the physiological consequences of microgravity by immersion or HDT, and flown aboard the dedicated satellites. It is emphasized that all the data indiscriminately indicate effectiveness of SAC as a preventive and therapeutic instrument alleviating the negative effects of modeled microgravity. Open issues and research objectives are presented.