---
title: "Artificial gravity"
chunk: 3/4
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_gravity"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:51:12.372756+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

==== Issues with implementation ====
Some of the reasons that artificial gravity remains unused today in spaceflight trace back to the problems inherent in implementation. One of the realistic methods of creating artificial gravity is the centrifugal effect caused by the centripetal force of the floor of a rotating structure pushing up on the person. In that model, however, issues arise in the size of the spacecraft. As expressed by John Page and Matthew Francis, the smaller a spacecraft (the shorter the radius of rotation), the more rapid the rotation that is required. As such, to simulate gravity, it would be better to utilize a larger spacecraft that rotates slowly. 
The requirements on size about rotation are due to the differing forces on parts of the body at different distances from the axis of rotation. If parts of the body closer to the rotational axis experience a force that is significantly different from parts farther from the axis, then this could have adverse effects. Additionally, questions remain as to what the best way is to initially set the rotating motion in place without disturbing the stability of the whole spacecraft's orbit. At the moment, there is not a ship massive enough to meet the rotation requirements, and the costs associated with building, maintaining, and launching such a craft are extensive.
In general, with the small number of negative health effects present in today's typically shorter spaceflights, as well as with the very large cost of research for a technology which is not yet really needed, the present day development of artificial gravity technology has necessarily been stunted and sporadic.  
As the length of typical space flights increases, the need for artificial gravity for the passengers in such lengthy spaceflights will most certainly also increase, and so will the knowledge and resources available to create such artificial gravity, most likely also increase.  In summary, it is probably only a question of time, as to how long it might take before the conditions are suitable for the completion of the development of artificial gravity technology, which will almost certainly be required at some point along with the eventual and inevitable development of an increase in the average length of a spaceflight.

==== In science fiction ====
Several science fiction novels, films, and series have featured artificial gravity production.

In the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, a rotating centrifuge in the Discovery spacecraft provides artificial gravity to the astronauts within it. The entirety of Space Station 5 rotates to provide artificial 1g downforce in the shirtsleeve environment of its outer rings; the central docking hub remains closer to zero gravity.
The 1999 television series Cowboy Bebop, a rotating ring in the Bebop spacecraft creates artificial gravity throughout the spacecraft.
In the novel The Martian, the Hermes spacecraft achieves artificial gravity by design; it employs a ringed structure, at whose periphery forces around 40% of Earth's gravity are experienced, similar to Mars' gravity.
In the novel Project Hail Mary by the same author, weight on the titular ship Hail Mary is provided initially by bioengine thrust, as the ship is capable of constant acceleration up to 2 ɡ and is also able to separate, turn the crew compartment inwards, and rotate to produce 1 ɡ while in orbit.
The movie Interstellar features a spacecraft called the Endurance that can rotate on its central axis to create artificial gravity, controlled by retro thrusters on the ship.
The 2021 film Stowaway features the upper stage of a launch vehicle connected by 450-meter long tethers to the ship's main hull, acting as a counterweight for inertia-based artificial gravity.
The series The Expanse utilizes both rotational gravity and linear thrust gravity in various space stations and spaceships. Notably, Tycho Station and the Generation ship LDSS Nauvoo use rotational gravity. Linear gravity is provided by a fictitious 'Epstein Drive', which killed its creator Solomon Epstein during its maiden flight due to high gravity injuries.
In the television series For All Mankind, the space hotel Polaris, later renamed Phoenix after being purchased and converted into a space vessel by Helios Aerospace for their own Mars mission, features a wheel-like structure controlled by thrusters to create artificial gravity, whilst a central axial hub operates in zero gravity as a docking station.

== Linear acceleration ==