About Eternity Ring type Space Colony
The Eternity Ring type Space Colony is a space colony concept where residential and other areas are modularized and arranged on a ring-shaped structure. By moving these modules along the circumference of the ring, circular motion is generated, and the centrifugal force resulting from this motion is used as pseudo-gravity. The sensation can be likened to the feeling of being pulled outward when taking a curve at high speed.
Because the arrangement of the modules along the ring resembles a type of ring known as an "eternity ring," we named this concept the "Eternity Ring Colony."
Several advantages of the Eternity Ring Colony can be identified:
・ Expandable Design
The colony can start at a smaller scale and be expanded later by adding more rings or modules according to budget and planning needs. Conversely, if issues such as malfunctions or aging arise, individual rings or modules can be separated and either discarded or replaced. This flexibility avoids the need to discard or reconstruct the entire colony, ultimately reducing long-term running costs. Such flexibility is difficult to achieve with other types of space colonies, making it a key strength of the Eternity Ring Colony.
・Interchangeable Modules
Modules can be replaced as needed according to changes in demand or purpose. It is not uncommon for initial plans and actual demand to diverge over time. In such cases, instead of constructing an entirely new space colony, unnecessary modules can be swapped out for those with required specifications. For example, if living quarters are no longer necessary but there is a greater need for food production, the residential modules could be replaced with food production modules to increase the colony's food supply.
The modules can be broadly categorized into two types:
Drive Module
This module moves the base ring to which the other modules are attached. One drive module may be required for several main modules, with the number needed depending on the situation. Two types of drive systems may be necessary: one with relatively high torque for initial startup and another for fine speed adjustments once the desired speed is achieved, allowing precise control over the colony's rotation.Main Utility Module
This is the colony’s core module. These modules are standardized according to their intended use and scale, mass-produced for efficiency. Each main module contains basic functions such as water and air purification, as well as emergency food supplies, and can serve as an evacuation shelter if needed. As for residential modules, the number of occupants follows the "rule of 2 and 3," meaning the rated occupancy is 33% to 50% of the maximum physical capacity.
・Customizable Pseudo-Gravity
Each ring can rotate at a different speed, allowing different levels of centrifugal force to be generated depending on the purpose. For example, a colony could have zones replicating lunar gravity at 0.166G, as well as zones at 0.2G, 0.5G, 0.8G, and 1G for rehabilitation, allowing astronauts to gradually acclimate before returning to Earth. Another application could be using stronger centrifugal forces for aquaculture, simulating different water pressures to optimize environments for different marine species.
1st : 0 G
2nd : 0.06 G
3rd : 0.166 G ( equivalent to lunar gravity )
4th : 0.27 G
5th : 0.38 G ( equivalent to Mars gravity )
6th : 0.5 G
7th : 0.7 G
8th : 1.0 G ( equivalent to Earth gravity )
9th : 1.1 G
There are also other unique features of the Eternity Ring Colony, such as its advantages in precession suppression and correction, which will be discussed in a later section.
While many challenges remain, technology to support short-term human habitation, such as that used in the ISS and lunar bases, has already been realized to some extent. By applying this existing technology and adding a rotation mechanism, I am confident that a small-scale Eternity Ring Colony is fully feasible.
* This English sentence was created by translating it using ChatGPT ***