Surely it's because, as the "ring" is rotating, the centrifugal force pushes everything to the outside of the ring (that becomes the floor), and if the horizontal elevator / train moves around the outside of the ring, which seems to make most sense, then you would presumably leave the elevator / train through the roof and enter the ring through the floor (of course, when you enter the elevator it has no up / down, until it picks up speed and matches the speed of the ring).
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Surely it's because, as the "ring" is rotating, the centrifugal force pushes everything to the outside of the ring (that becomes the floor), and if the horizontal elevator / train moves around the outside of the ring, which seems to make most sense, then you would presumably leave the elevator / train through the roof and enter the ring through the floor (of course, when you enter the elevator it has no up / down, until it picks up speed and matches the speed of the ring).
It wouldn't have an up/down until it was collected by the rotating ring, so entering through the floor doesn't seem to have an advantage... The best solution I can think of is to enter from the side, and have the floor as a lifting platform. That way, people don't have to climb ladders to get out, and it's a lot easier to transport heavy goods, as you wouldn't need an overhead crane.
You wouldn't need ladders, a simple stairs or ramp would do just as well. And if the cabin is able to rotate before docking with the ring you'd be fine with only one door.
Ramps and stairs aren't very efficient in terms of space though, and it would be an odd and undignified manoeuvre to flip the whole room on its side. Remember that the Imperials use the rotating ring for their soirees, etc. when not blasting ships out of the stars.
I wonder what Frontier's actual solution will be though... The other obvious thing to do (in terms of dignitaries) would be to have a docking port on the inside of the ring, and let shuttles land there, and mate directly with an entry lift.
OK, I think I have this solved.
The problem is that you dock in a central part of the station that isn't rotating, but there is an outer ring that is rotating and the problem is how to transition on foot between the two sections.
From the cetral part, you enter a "lift" (or "elevator"). Once inside, the "lift" moves in the same direction as the outer ring and matches it's rotational speed. As the "lift" speeds up, it rotates 90 degrees, this negates the "floor becomes a wall effect". Once it has matched speed with the outer ring, it aligns to a "slot" (for want of a better term) and moves though the slot into the outer ring. The doors open and you walk out the same door you entered the "lift" by.
There, problem solved.
The problem is that you dock in a central part of the station that isn't rotating, but there is an outer ring that is rotating and the problem is how to transition on foot between the two sections.
From the cetral part, you enter a "lift" (or "elevator"). Once inside, the "lift" moves in the same direction as the outer ring and matches it's rotational speed. As the "lift" speeds up, it rotates 90 degrees, this negates the "floor becomes a wall effect". Once it has matched speed with the outer ring, it aligns to a "slot" (for want of a better term) and moves though the slot into the outer ring. The doors open and you walk out the same door you entered the "lift" by.
There, problem solved.
OK, I think I have this solved.
The problem is that you dock in a central part of the station that isn't rotating, but there is an outer ring that is rotating and the problem is how to transition on foot between the two sections.
From the cetral part, you enter a "lift" (or "elevator"). Once inside, the "lift" moves in the same direction as the outer ring and matches it's rotational speed. As the "lift" speeds up, it rotates 90 degrees, this negates the "floor becomes a wall effect". Once it has matched speed with the outer ring, it aligns to a "slot" (for want of a better term) and moves though the slot into the outer ring. The doors open and you walk out the same door you entered the "lift" by.
There, problem solved.
I don't think you need to rotate the lift in this solution... You would just need an airlock type thing inside the ring, so the hatch on the rim closes once the lift is inside, and then airlock doors open at the same time as the lift doors open.
An elegant yet simple solution. Much like the fairground rides that rotate out due to centripetal force as the ride rotates faster and faster.OK, I think I have this solved.
The problem is that you dock in a central part of the station that isn't rotating, but there is an outer ring that is rotating and the problem is how to transition on foot between the two sections.
From the cetral part, you enter a "lift" (or "elevator"). Once inside, the "lift" moves in the same direction as the outer ring and matches it's rotational speed. As the "lift" speeds up, it rotates 90 degrees, this negates the "floor becomes a wall effect". Once it has matched speed with the outer ring, it aligns to a "slot" (for want of a better term) and moves though the slot into the outer ring. The doors open and you walk out the same door you entered the "lift" by.
There, problem solved.
A lot depends on how fast the ring is rotating. There are such things as revolving restaurants in fact there used be one on the BT tower in London. If the rotation is relatively low, it's much easier to transfer between the static and rotating areas.
Actually if your talking an inner then huge outer ring its not a problem..
The inner ring moves very slowly.....so walking between the inner and outer ring the gravity would increase as you walk....by the time you reached the outer faster ring gravity would be normal...So an elevator should work as well..
In fact the problem would be a single block station that rotates.....As you match the rotation speed to dock...suddenly your ship would have gravity inside.....
Then what happens when your ship docks in a station with gravity? In reality your ship should fall to the ground..
So you would have to time your lift thrusters as well.. All very confusing
Unless.....The inner ring stayed still and the outer ring or tube rotated
The inner ring moves very slowly.....so walking between the inner and outer ring the gravity would increase as you walk....by the time you reached the outer faster ring gravity would be normal...So an elevator should work as well..
In fact the problem would be a single block station that rotates.....As you match the rotation speed to dock...suddenly your ship would have gravity inside.....
Then what happens when your ship docks in a station with gravity? In reality your ship should fall to the ground..
So you would have to time your lift thrusters as well.. All very confusing
Unless.....The inner ring stayed still and the outer ring or tube rotated
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Not strictly true. One half of your vessel would have a feeling of gravity in one direction, tapering off the closer you get to the axis that is rotating, while the other has the same effect in the opposite direction.
An object that is spinning to create artificial gravity exhibits no gravity in the centre of mass where it is spinning, because you will only feel the rotational force. You're not being pushed out by the centripetal force that is exhibited at the outer ring.
Only if it moved off of the axis, and only if it was still rotating in time with the station. Really, what is more likely to happen is that your vessel will move independently of the station if you do not rotate. When you leave the central axis of the station and move toward one of the outer surfaces, the "gravity" that takes effect is in reality the station continuing to move as you are moving through it.
The feeling of gravity gradually takes effect as your frame of reference transitions to within the station itself (ie when you are sufficiently off of the axis that the rotation of the station is less of a factor than the centripetal force exerting outward pressure on you).
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