Would a sleeper ship need artificial gravity?












4















If all of the crew and passengers of an interstellar craft were in suspended animation except prior to Earth departure and just before destination arrival, would they need artificial gravity (through some from of spin) for the length of the journey?



Also please let me know if there's a better place to ask this question. I don't want to step out of context.










share|improve this question























  • What kind of speeds does the ship fly at ? does it accelarate to them or "magically" jump from 0 speed to 95% of light speed?

    – Soan
    2 hours ago











  • Instead of spin, you might look at gravity by linear acceleration, providing artificial gravity as a side effect of your main thrust.

    – Cadence
    2 hours ago
















4















If all of the crew and passengers of an interstellar craft were in suspended animation except prior to Earth departure and just before destination arrival, would they need artificial gravity (through some from of spin) for the length of the journey?



Also please let me know if there's a better place to ask this question. I don't want to step out of context.










share|improve this question























  • What kind of speeds does the ship fly at ? does it accelarate to them or "magically" jump from 0 speed to 95% of light speed?

    – Soan
    2 hours ago











  • Instead of spin, you might look at gravity by linear acceleration, providing artificial gravity as a side effect of your main thrust.

    – Cadence
    2 hours ago














4












4








4








If all of the crew and passengers of an interstellar craft were in suspended animation except prior to Earth departure and just before destination arrival, would they need artificial gravity (through some from of spin) for the length of the journey?



Also please let me know if there's a better place to ask this question. I don't want to step out of context.










share|improve this question














If all of the crew and passengers of an interstellar craft were in suspended animation except prior to Earth departure and just before destination arrival, would they need artificial gravity (through some from of spin) for the length of the journey?



Also please let me know if there's a better place to ask this question. I don't want to step out of context.







space-travel spaceships hibernation






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked 3 hours ago









JamesJames

8316




8316













  • What kind of speeds does the ship fly at ? does it accelarate to them or "magically" jump from 0 speed to 95% of light speed?

    – Soan
    2 hours ago











  • Instead of spin, you might look at gravity by linear acceleration, providing artificial gravity as a side effect of your main thrust.

    – Cadence
    2 hours ago



















  • What kind of speeds does the ship fly at ? does it accelarate to them or "magically" jump from 0 speed to 95% of light speed?

    – Soan
    2 hours ago











  • Instead of spin, you might look at gravity by linear acceleration, providing artificial gravity as a side effect of your main thrust.

    – Cadence
    2 hours ago

















What kind of speeds does the ship fly at ? does it accelarate to them or "magically" jump from 0 speed to 95% of light speed?

– Soan
2 hours ago





What kind of speeds does the ship fly at ? does it accelarate to them or "magically" jump from 0 speed to 95% of light speed?

– Soan
2 hours ago













Instead of spin, you might look at gravity by linear acceleration, providing artificial gravity as a side effect of your main thrust.

– Cadence
2 hours ago





Instead of spin, you might look at gravity by linear acceleration, providing artificial gravity as a side effect of your main thrust.

– Cadence
2 hours ago










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















4














Need? No. Want? Yes.



From real life:




Science Results for Everyone
Maintaining strong muscles is a big enough challenge on Earth. It is much harder to do in space where there is no gravity. Calf muscles biopsies before flight and after a six months mission on the ISS show that even when crew members did aerobic exercise five hours a week and resistance exercise three to six days per week, muscle volume and peak power both still decrease significantly. Overall, the data suggest that current exercise countermeasures are not enough. The addition of a second treadmill and the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) along with more rigorous exercise regiment are giving good results in preventing muscle loss and preserving overall muscle health.

-Effect of Prolonged Space Flight on Human Skeletal Muscle (Biopsy) - 08.15.18 -NASA




Unless your sleeper technology can make up for the atrophy of muscles that's normally seen in both comatose patients AND the atrophy seen in Active microgravity residents, the addition of artificial gravity would reduce this problem to coma patient level, which could be treated with neuromuscular electrical stimulation.



But neuromuscular electrical stimulation doesn't work for bone mass losses (Osteoporosis) as well, which is also another problem of microgravity. So your sleeper tech would also need that. Artificial gravity would make it a non-issue.



So need? No, your sleeper tech can adjust for the medical issues or have your travelers arrive skinny and weak. But you probably want it.



Whatever the source of the gravity, it should be about Earth normal 1G. Lower gravity would cause less stress to the body and still lead to skeletal-muscular mass losses (at a lower rate), and high gravity causes issues with blood pumping and stress to tissue. Sustained high gravity force can kill a human.






share|improve this answer


























  • It could be that because of his propulsion system that there already is a "gravity" because the acceleration of the ship causes it.

    – Soan
    2 hours ago











  • @Soan then the issue is how fast it's accelerating and how likely that is to be above earth normal 1G. I'd hate to try to travel in a sustained 10G acceleration. Probably be dead.

    – cde
    2 hours ago











  • Would the lack of (full) gravity actually cause muscle and bone loss in unconscious people? I agree that the "coma" will.

    – Cyn
    1 hour ago











  • @cyn a coma is a type of unconsciousness. And yes. Atrophy of muscles is due to lack of use, and skeletal mass loss due to lack of stress from gravity AND movement. Without both, the bones will lose mineral density and weaken. Astronauts must work out alot to reduce the amount of bone and muscle loss simply from being in space.

    – cde
    1 hour ago











  • You're not really answering my question though. If someone is already losing bone and muscle mass due to unconsciousness, would being in low/no gravity make any difference? I know that low/no gravity makes an enormous difference for active people. But why would it for someone who is not weight-bearing anyway? I could see the low/no gravity changing muscles used for breathing, but why would someone already in a coma lose more bone mass in low/no gravity?

    – Cyn
    1 hour ago



















0















Would a sleeper ship need artificial gravity?




No



There's only one real reason people want artificial gravity during a space journey.



To avoid the muscle atrophy etc arising from micro gravity.



But assuming that the suspended animation suspends (or at least significantly slows) all biological functions at a cellular level (which is the way it's most usually depicted in sci fi) there's no plausible explanation for why there would be any muscle atrophy from zero g during the journey.



So they wouldn't need it.






share|improve this answer

























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    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

    votes








    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    4














    Need? No. Want? Yes.



    From real life:




    Science Results for Everyone
    Maintaining strong muscles is a big enough challenge on Earth. It is much harder to do in space where there is no gravity. Calf muscles biopsies before flight and after a six months mission on the ISS show that even when crew members did aerobic exercise five hours a week and resistance exercise three to six days per week, muscle volume and peak power both still decrease significantly. Overall, the data suggest that current exercise countermeasures are not enough. The addition of a second treadmill and the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) along with more rigorous exercise regiment are giving good results in preventing muscle loss and preserving overall muscle health.

    -Effect of Prolonged Space Flight on Human Skeletal Muscle (Biopsy) - 08.15.18 -NASA




    Unless your sleeper technology can make up for the atrophy of muscles that's normally seen in both comatose patients AND the atrophy seen in Active microgravity residents, the addition of artificial gravity would reduce this problem to coma patient level, which could be treated with neuromuscular electrical stimulation.



    But neuromuscular electrical stimulation doesn't work for bone mass losses (Osteoporosis) as well, which is also another problem of microgravity. So your sleeper tech would also need that. Artificial gravity would make it a non-issue.



    So need? No, your sleeper tech can adjust for the medical issues or have your travelers arrive skinny and weak. But you probably want it.



    Whatever the source of the gravity, it should be about Earth normal 1G. Lower gravity would cause less stress to the body and still lead to skeletal-muscular mass losses (at a lower rate), and high gravity causes issues with blood pumping and stress to tissue. Sustained high gravity force can kill a human.






    share|improve this answer


























    • It could be that because of his propulsion system that there already is a "gravity" because the acceleration of the ship causes it.

      – Soan
      2 hours ago











    • @Soan then the issue is how fast it's accelerating and how likely that is to be above earth normal 1G. I'd hate to try to travel in a sustained 10G acceleration. Probably be dead.

      – cde
      2 hours ago











    • Would the lack of (full) gravity actually cause muscle and bone loss in unconscious people? I agree that the "coma" will.

      – Cyn
      1 hour ago











    • @cyn a coma is a type of unconsciousness. And yes. Atrophy of muscles is due to lack of use, and skeletal mass loss due to lack of stress from gravity AND movement. Without both, the bones will lose mineral density and weaken. Astronauts must work out alot to reduce the amount of bone and muscle loss simply from being in space.

      – cde
      1 hour ago











    • You're not really answering my question though. If someone is already losing bone and muscle mass due to unconsciousness, would being in low/no gravity make any difference? I know that low/no gravity makes an enormous difference for active people. But why would it for someone who is not weight-bearing anyway? I could see the low/no gravity changing muscles used for breathing, but why would someone already in a coma lose more bone mass in low/no gravity?

      – Cyn
      1 hour ago
















    4














    Need? No. Want? Yes.



    From real life:




    Science Results for Everyone
    Maintaining strong muscles is a big enough challenge on Earth. It is much harder to do in space where there is no gravity. Calf muscles biopsies before flight and after a six months mission on the ISS show that even when crew members did aerobic exercise five hours a week and resistance exercise three to six days per week, muscle volume and peak power both still decrease significantly. Overall, the data suggest that current exercise countermeasures are not enough. The addition of a second treadmill and the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) along with more rigorous exercise regiment are giving good results in preventing muscle loss and preserving overall muscle health.

    -Effect of Prolonged Space Flight on Human Skeletal Muscle (Biopsy) - 08.15.18 -NASA




    Unless your sleeper technology can make up for the atrophy of muscles that's normally seen in both comatose patients AND the atrophy seen in Active microgravity residents, the addition of artificial gravity would reduce this problem to coma patient level, which could be treated with neuromuscular electrical stimulation.



    But neuromuscular electrical stimulation doesn't work for bone mass losses (Osteoporosis) as well, which is also another problem of microgravity. So your sleeper tech would also need that. Artificial gravity would make it a non-issue.



    So need? No, your sleeper tech can adjust for the medical issues or have your travelers arrive skinny and weak. But you probably want it.



    Whatever the source of the gravity, it should be about Earth normal 1G. Lower gravity would cause less stress to the body and still lead to skeletal-muscular mass losses (at a lower rate), and high gravity causes issues with blood pumping and stress to tissue. Sustained high gravity force can kill a human.






    share|improve this answer


























    • It could be that because of his propulsion system that there already is a "gravity" because the acceleration of the ship causes it.

      – Soan
      2 hours ago











    • @Soan then the issue is how fast it's accelerating and how likely that is to be above earth normal 1G. I'd hate to try to travel in a sustained 10G acceleration. Probably be dead.

      – cde
      2 hours ago











    • Would the lack of (full) gravity actually cause muscle and bone loss in unconscious people? I agree that the "coma" will.

      – Cyn
      1 hour ago











    • @cyn a coma is a type of unconsciousness. And yes. Atrophy of muscles is due to lack of use, and skeletal mass loss due to lack of stress from gravity AND movement. Without both, the bones will lose mineral density and weaken. Astronauts must work out alot to reduce the amount of bone and muscle loss simply from being in space.

      – cde
      1 hour ago











    • You're not really answering my question though. If someone is already losing bone and muscle mass due to unconsciousness, would being in low/no gravity make any difference? I know that low/no gravity makes an enormous difference for active people. But why would it for someone who is not weight-bearing anyway? I could see the low/no gravity changing muscles used for breathing, but why would someone already in a coma lose more bone mass in low/no gravity?

      – Cyn
      1 hour ago














    4












    4








    4







    Need? No. Want? Yes.



    From real life:




    Science Results for Everyone
    Maintaining strong muscles is a big enough challenge on Earth. It is much harder to do in space where there is no gravity. Calf muscles biopsies before flight and after a six months mission on the ISS show that even when crew members did aerobic exercise five hours a week and resistance exercise three to six days per week, muscle volume and peak power both still decrease significantly. Overall, the data suggest that current exercise countermeasures are not enough. The addition of a second treadmill and the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) along with more rigorous exercise regiment are giving good results in preventing muscle loss and preserving overall muscle health.

    -Effect of Prolonged Space Flight on Human Skeletal Muscle (Biopsy) - 08.15.18 -NASA




    Unless your sleeper technology can make up for the atrophy of muscles that's normally seen in both comatose patients AND the atrophy seen in Active microgravity residents, the addition of artificial gravity would reduce this problem to coma patient level, which could be treated with neuromuscular electrical stimulation.



    But neuromuscular electrical stimulation doesn't work for bone mass losses (Osteoporosis) as well, which is also another problem of microgravity. So your sleeper tech would also need that. Artificial gravity would make it a non-issue.



    So need? No, your sleeper tech can adjust for the medical issues or have your travelers arrive skinny and weak. But you probably want it.



    Whatever the source of the gravity, it should be about Earth normal 1G. Lower gravity would cause less stress to the body and still lead to skeletal-muscular mass losses (at a lower rate), and high gravity causes issues with blood pumping and stress to tissue. Sustained high gravity force can kill a human.






    share|improve this answer















    Need? No. Want? Yes.



    From real life:




    Science Results for Everyone
    Maintaining strong muscles is a big enough challenge on Earth. It is much harder to do in space where there is no gravity. Calf muscles biopsies before flight and after a six months mission on the ISS show that even when crew members did aerobic exercise five hours a week and resistance exercise three to six days per week, muscle volume and peak power both still decrease significantly. Overall, the data suggest that current exercise countermeasures are not enough. The addition of a second treadmill and the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) along with more rigorous exercise regiment are giving good results in preventing muscle loss and preserving overall muscle health.

    -Effect of Prolonged Space Flight on Human Skeletal Muscle (Biopsy) - 08.15.18 -NASA




    Unless your sleeper technology can make up for the atrophy of muscles that's normally seen in both comatose patients AND the atrophy seen in Active microgravity residents, the addition of artificial gravity would reduce this problem to coma patient level, which could be treated with neuromuscular electrical stimulation.



    But neuromuscular electrical stimulation doesn't work for bone mass losses (Osteoporosis) as well, which is also another problem of microgravity. So your sleeper tech would also need that. Artificial gravity would make it a non-issue.



    So need? No, your sleeper tech can adjust for the medical issues or have your travelers arrive skinny and weak. But you probably want it.



    Whatever the source of the gravity, it should be about Earth normal 1G. Lower gravity would cause less stress to the body and still lead to skeletal-muscular mass losses (at a lower rate), and high gravity causes issues with blood pumping and stress to tissue. Sustained high gravity force can kill a human.







    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited 2 hours ago

























    answered 2 hours ago









    cdecde

    40127




    40127













    • It could be that because of his propulsion system that there already is a "gravity" because the acceleration of the ship causes it.

      – Soan
      2 hours ago











    • @Soan then the issue is how fast it's accelerating and how likely that is to be above earth normal 1G. I'd hate to try to travel in a sustained 10G acceleration. Probably be dead.

      – cde
      2 hours ago











    • Would the lack of (full) gravity actually cause muscle and bone loss in unconscious people? I agree that the "coma" will.

      – Cyn
      1 hour ago











    • @cyn a coma is a type of unconsciousness. And yes. Atrophy of muscles is due to lack of use, and skeletal mass loss due to lack of stress from gravity AND movement. Without both, the bones will lose mineral density and weaken. Astronauts must work out alot to reduce the amount of bone and muscle loss simply from being in space.

      – cde
      1 hour ago











    • You're not really answering my question though. If someone is already losing bone and muscle mass due to unconsciousness, would being in low/no gravity make any difference? I know that low/no gravity makes an enormous difference for active people. But why would it for someone who is not weight-bearing anyway? I could see the low/no gravity changing muscles used for breathing, but why would someone already in a coma lose more bone mass in low/no gravity?

      – Cyn
      1 hour ago



















    • It could be that because of his propulsion system that there already is a "gravity" because the acceleration of the ship causes it.

      – Soan
      2 hours ago











    • @Soan then the issue is how fast it's accelerating and how likely that is to be above earth normal 1G. I'd hate to try to travel in a sustained 10G acceleration. Probably be dead.

      – cde
      2 hours ago











    • Would the lack of (full) gravity actually cause muscle and bone loss in unconscious people? I agree that the "coma" will.

      – Cyn
      1 hour ago











    • @cyn a coma is a type of unconsciousness. And yes. Atrophy of muscles is due to lack of use, and skeletal mass loss due to lack of stress from gravity AND movement. Without both, the bones will lose mineral density and weaken. Astronauts must work out alot to reduce the amount of bone and muscle loss simply from being in space.

      – cde
      1 hour ago











    • You're not really answering my question though. If someone is already losing bone and muscle mass due to unconsciousness, would being in low/no gravity make any difference? I know that low/no gravity makes an enormous difference for active people. But why would it for someone who is not weight-bearing anyway? I could see the low/no gravity changing muscles used for breathing, but why would someone already in a coma lose more bone mass in low/no gravity?

      – Cyn
      1 hour ago

















    It could be that because of his propulsion system that there already is a "gravity" because the acceleration of the ship causes it.

    – Soan
    2 hours ago





    It could be that because of his propulsion system that there already is a "gravity" because the acceleration of the ship causes it.

    – Soan
    2 hours ago













    @Soan then the issue is how fast it's accelerating and how likely that is to be above earth normal 1G. I'd hate to try to travel in a sustained 10G acceleration. Probably be dead.

    – cde
    2 hours ago





    @Soan then the issue is how fast it's accelerating and how likely that is to be above earth normal 1G. I'd hate to try to travel in a sustained 10G acceleration. Probably be dead.

    – cde
    2 hours ago













    Would the lack of (full) gravity actually cause muscle and bone loss in unconscious people? I agree that the "coma" will.

    – Cyn
    1 hour ago





    Would the lack of (full) gravity actually cause muscle and bone loss in unconscious people? I agree that the "coma" will.

    – Cyn
    1 hour ago













    @cyn a coma is a type of unconsciousness. And yes. Atrophy of muscles is due to lack of use, and skeletal mass loss due to lack of stress from gravity AND movement. Without both, the bones will lose mineral density and weaken. Astronauts must work out alot to reduce the amount of bone and muscle loss simply from being in space.

    – cde
    1 hour ago





    @cyn a coma is a type of unconsciousness. And yes. Atrophy of muscles is due to lack of use, and skeletal mass loss due to lack of stress from gravity AND movement. Without both, the bones will lose mineral density and weaken. Astronauts must work out alot to reduce the amount of bone and muscle loss simply from being in space.

    – cde
    1 hour ago













    You're not really answering my question though. If someone is already losing bone and muscle mass due to unconsciousness, would being in low/no gravity make any difference? I know that low/no gravity makes an enormous difference for active people. But why would it for someone who is not weight-bearing anyway? I could see the low/no gravity changing muscles used for breathing, but why would someone already in a coma lose more bone mass in low/no gravity?

    – Cyn
    1 hour ago





    You're not really answering my question though. If someone is already losing bone and muscle mass due to unconsciousness, would being in low/no gravity make any difference? I know that low/no gravity makes an enormous difference for active people. But why would it for someone who is not weight-bearing anyway? I could see the low/no gravity changing muscles used for breathing, but why would someone already in a coma lose more bone mass in low/no gravity?

    – Cyn
    1 hour ago











    0















    Would a sleeper ship need artificial gravity?




    No



    There's only one real reason people want artificial gravity during a space journey.



    To avoid the muscle atrophy etc arising from micro gravity.



    But assuming that the suspended animation suspends (or at least significantly slows) all biological functions at a cellular level (which is the way it's most usually depicted in sci fi) there's no plausible explanation for why there would be any muscle atrophy from zero g during the journey.



    So they wouldn't need it.






    share|improve this answer






























      0















      Would a sleeper ship need artificial gravity?




      No



      There's only one real reason people want artificial gravity during a space journey.



      To avoid the muscle atrophy etc arising from micro gravity.



      But assuming that the suspended animation suspends (or at least significantly slows) all biological functions at a cellular level (which is the way it's most usually depicted in sci fi) there's no plausible explanation for why there would be any muscle atrophy from zero g during the journey.



      So they wouldn't need it.






      share|improve this answer




























        0












        0








        0








        Would a sleeper ship need artificial gravity?




        No



        There's only one real reason people want artificial gravity during a space journey.



        To avoid the muscle atrophy etc arising from micro gravity.



        But assuming that the suspended animation suspends (or at least significantly slows) all biological functions at a cellular level (which is the way it's most usually depicted in sci fi) there's no plausible explanation for why there would be any muscle atrophy from zero g during the journey.



        So they wouldn't need it.






        share|improve this answer
















        Would a sleeper ship need artificial gravity?




        No



        There's only one real reason people want artificial gravity during a space journey.



        To avoid the muscle atrophy etc arising from micro gravity.



        But assuming that the suspended animation suspends (or at least significantly slows) all biological functions at a cellular level (which is the way it's most usually depicted in sci fi) there's no plausible explanation for why there would be any muscle atrophy from zero g during the journey.



        So they wouldn't need it.







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited 3 mins ago

























        answered 23 mins ago









        PelinorePelinore

        992313




        992313






























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