Design, Development And Commissioning Of The ESA Short Arm Human Centrifuge To Study Artificial Gravity Based Countermeasures For Weightlessness On Long-term Interplanetary Space Flight

Paper number

IAC-07-A1.9.-A2.7.09

Author

Mr. Luc Vautmans, Verhaert Space, Belgium

Year

2007

Abstract

Only very recently (in March 2007) and under contract of the European Space Agency (ESA), Verhaert Space (B) has successfully completed the acceptance test campaign and commissioning phase of the ESA Short Arm Human Centrifuge (SAHC). The SAHC is currently installed and ready for operational use at the bed rest facility of the MEDES space hospital in Toulouse (F). Based on very promising test results on actual human test subjects during the commissioning phase, ESA already ordered a second SAHC, to be installed at the DLR bed rest facility in Köln (GER) in the fall of 2007 (TBD).

These ground facilities offer the European space medicine community extensive added capabilities to study methods of artificial gravity based countermeasures for weightlessness on long-term interplanetary missions. Earlier studies performed by leading experts in this domain concluded that intermittent crew exposure to artificial gravity via a Short Arm Human Centrifuge is a very promising countermeasure concept. Especially results from studies using intermittent centrifugation during bed rest, as a way to maintain orthostatic tolerance and exercise capacity are promising in this regard, since they indicate that intermittent artificial gravity is a potential integrated countermeasure for maintaining the integrity of the physiological functions during extended space missions. 

The Verhaert Space (B) developed SAHC can accommodate up to 4 test subjects in flat or semi-seated supine (bed nacelle) or fully seated (seat nacelle) position on a 4-arm rotor with a diameter of almost 6m. At the outer diameter, radial accelerations up to 6,5 g can be achieved The positions of all 4 nacelles can be adjusted over a large range, both in radial translation as in rotation in the vertical plane. This offers the scientist a multitude of modular settings and experimental scenario possibilities. In total, a payload of over 600 kg (test subjects + scientific equipment + exercise equipment) can be accommodated on the rotor. The validated concept of the SAHC is a very careful trade-off, with special attention for aspects of human engineering (test subject comfort, health monitoring, physiological interfaces) and user-friendly operations (easy operator controls, automated experiment scenario profiles), obviously within the envelope of harmonized Pan-European safety regulations and quality assurance directives. The objective of this paper is to present the state-of-the-art SAHC facility development and early test results to the scientific (potential user) community.  

Abstract document

IAC-07-A1.9.-A2.7.09.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-07-A1.9.-A2.7.09.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.