Der rotierende Von Braun-Weltraumhafen

The Gateway Foundation has begun construction of a spaceport called Von Braun Station. The name is a tribute to German aerospace engineer Dr. Werner Von Braun. The spaceport’s design includes a rotating ring concept. Why does the port need to rotate? The rotation provides artificial gravity, which is necessary for the proper functioning of the human body. Arthur C. Clark’s novel 2001: A Space Odyssey featured a rotating space station and was made into a film by Stanley Kubrick under the same name.

Weightlessness problems

Astronauts who have spent long periods in space suffer from some serious medical problems. NASA conducted the  twin study  to find out what happened to the astronaut twins named Mark and Scott Kelly. Identical twins share the same genetic makeup. The twin studies provided scientists with an opportunity to study how the environment affects our health, independent of the physical variations that occur normally between most of us as individuals. Scott provided a test case for measuring in space, and Mark provided a baseline test case for comparing those measurements on Earth.

The study came to the following conclusion by Scott Kelly, who was in space for a year:

• His eyesight diminished.
• He had swelling on his arms and legs.
• He developed a rash on his back.
• He couldn’t stand without feeling pain in his legs.
• There were changes in his organ functions.
• There were changes in its gene expression.

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The Von Braun building

According to the Gateway Foundation, the Von Braun spaceport will have two concentric rings. These rings will be attached together with a set of spokes. These spokes will connect to an outer housing ring with large modules. The inner ring is an unpressurized structure called a docking hub. It is designed to capture incoming spacecraft and lock them in place. There are plans to have two docking stations, but initially there will only be one. Once an astronaut exits their spacecraft, they can access a tube connected to a triangular truss. This will allow them to walk to the spaceport.

The construction of the spaceport has faced Dr. Modified by Braun’s original design from the 1950s. The original design did not provide for a way to escape the spaceport. With their new design, each capsule is separated by a spacecraft near the capsule. A tube allows access to individual models. With this design, people don’t have to go through someone else’s tube to get to their own.

Bildnachweis: Gateway Foundation.

Photo credit: Gateway Foundation.

Meet the gravity needs

John Blincow, CEO of the Gateway Foundation, made the following statements about the benefits of a rotating spaceport.

„Humans need gravity to keep their bodies from falling apart. But how long will lunar gravity be sustainable, a year or two? Will Mars‘ gravity be sustainable for humans in the long term, but not for large livestock? Will two days a week at 30% g be enough for the ISS crew to maintain their bone mass? The construction of the Von Braun space station can help unravel these mysteries.“

Meanwhile, the LGA indoor ring with high ceilings offers tourists the opportunity to dine and play in a low ambient pressure environment. The heart of the station is the hub and bay, which houses traffic and environmental control, security and the gateway transport hub. The hub will also have an observation lounge where guests can watch arriving shuttles.

SpaceX could help build the station. Their rockets can carry the larger components needed to build the spaceport. The result will be an international station not unlike the ISS, but at the same time a privately run project that would be economically self-sustaining. There is no estimate yet of how much it will cost to build the Gateway, but Blincow is confident that it will be affordable, thanks in part to SpaceX. Especially because of the way SpaceX is reducing the cost of individual launches with their reusable rockets.

Will the Gateway Foundation be able to build the spaceport? The project will require a lot of financial resources and help from the international community. However, if you are able to secure these two things, your project will have endless possibilities.