NASA tests it’s newest artificial gravity system in an office on Earth
As humanity continues to eye space as the next great adventure we need more efficient anti-gravity systems.
Key takeaways
- Artificial gravity demonstrated - on Earth Creating the illusion of gravity could be of great benefit to astronauts struggling with the not-yet-fully-understood effects of microgravity for months at a time too.
- The team, however, decided to put that to the test and invite volunteers to spin on their centrifuge for 10 vomit-inducing sessions.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2019) 'NASA tests it’s newest artificial gravity system in an office on Earth', 311 Institute, 4 August. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/nasa-tests-its-newest-artificial-gravity-system-in-an-office-on-earth/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
WHY THIS MATERS IN BRIEF
As humanity continues to eye space as the next great adventure we need more efficient anti-gravity systems.
A little while ago I discussed NASA’s Artificial Gravity experiment, and like me, if you’ve seen any science fiction films you’ll know you can’t have space and space stations without it.
In the movies most artificial gravity systems are like the ones seen in 2001: A Space Odyssey - massive centrifuge-like space stations that spin around a central axis to create the sensation of artificial gravity for off-world travellers and space tourists, the latter of which will soon be a “thing” as companies including Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic all prepare their rockets and space planes for launch.
While we have yet to build a huge spinning space station though, although it’s on Jeff Bezos’ wish list after unveiled his vision to get over a million people living in his off world space colonies, researchers from University of Colorado at Boulder in partnership with NASA have decided to miniaturize the effect instead, with a device small enough to fit inside a room that spins participants to mimic the effect of Earth-like gravity.
Creating the illusion of gravity could be of great benefit to astronauts struggling with the not-yet-fully-understood effects of microgravity for months at a time too.
“The point of our work is to try to get more people to think that maybe artificial gravity isn’t so crazy,” Kathrine Bretl, a graduate student involved in the project said according to a statement. “Maybe it has a place outside of science fiction.”
Unfortunately, motion sickness is still as much of a thing here on Earth as it is in space which is one of the main reasons why scientists have shied away from the idea in the past. The team, however, decided to put that to the test and invite volunteers to spin on their centrifuge for 10 vomit-inducing sessions.
And the results were promising - at 17 revolutions per minute, the effect became tolerable over time.
“As far as we can tell, essentially anyone can adapt to this stimulus,” aerospace engineer Torin Clark, who led the team said, and if they crack the technology then you too could one day experience gravity on Earth, er, I mean in space…
FAQ
Why does this matter?
As humanity continues to eye space as the next great adventure we need more efficient anti-gravity systems.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- effects of microgravity ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 2019 07 artificial gravity free science fiction phys.org
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 4 August 2019. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2019). NASA tests it’s newest artificial gravity system in an office on Earth. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/nasa-tests-its-newest-artificial-gravity-system-in-an-office-on-earth/
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