MMM Classics Year 10: MMM #s 91-100 - Moon Society

However, even within an Earth-normal “1G” space
oasis, we will at best be able to enjoy Earth-like sports and
events, with a distinctive difference. For given the small kilometer-scale
or even smaller radius of rotation likely in each
instance, the coriolis effects which are only insignificant laboratory
curiosities on Earth, will infect most athletic and sports
activities in artificial gravity environments with a decided
“English” on ball trajectories and even personal movements
and maneuvers, an “English” which will differ with the vector:
N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW, WSW, W,
WNW, NW, NNW. All else being equal (game rules, court
size, gravity level, equipment) players newly arrived from
Earth will have a variably difficult time adapting to this pervasive
“English” or coriolis spin. The results may range from
wild to comic caricature, at least early on. (Similar coriolis
affected caricatures of lunar and Martian surface sports and
events in artificial gravity habitats at those fractional gravity
levels.)
Nor is coriolis force the only one that will affect play.
Running eastward (spinward) a player or contestant will add to
his/her weight measurably, while one running westward
(antispinward) will experience noticeably reduced weight.
Team captains will surely flip a coin for preferred starting
orientation, with teams certainly switching at half-time if not
quarterly. A simple assist will be a set of “Cue colors” along
the perimeter (fence, wall) of the playing field. For example.
Larger radius, slower rotating settlements will have
flatter, less “English”-affected fields. By the same token the
weight increases or decreases by those running eastward or
westward respectively will be less noticeable. But all this may
be many generations in the realization.
Coriolis forces will be noticeable on effect on windups
(e.g. for shot put) and may make for more pronounced
advantages or disadvantages for right-handed versus lefthanded
throwers depending upon direction of the throw.
Island I (Bernal Sphere for 1000 people) and III (he
million inhabitant Sunflower design of Gerard O’Neill) designs
both include end caps, which offer a range of descending
gravity levels on their slopes.
Such end caps will feature gentle ramps and level
plateaus. Garden, forest, and park space may be punctuated
with apartments, resorts and hotels. If the habitat enjoys a full 1
G at the periphery, on the caps there will be habitat
concentration at the Mars-mimicking 3/8ths G and Moonmimicking
1/6th G plateaus.
End caps offer a very attractive venue for a range of
Space Olympic events. The variable gravity will be ideal for a
most interesting steeple-chase type event incorporating NE vs.
NW and SE vs. SW variations (spinward and antispinward in
both north and south caps). The caps of a 1G space habitat
might host a space decathlon featuring a mix of events at
terrestrial, Martian, lunar, and micro-gravity levels.
In a torus type habitat like the Stanford Island II
design for 10,000 people, Martian and lunar gravity levels
could be achieved in smaller concentric torus arc sections or
complete rings. These could be reached not just by radial (i.e.
vertical and perpendicular) elevators but by torus-tangential
ramps that would follow Hohmann semi-elliptical orbit paths.
The ever tightening (steeper) climb would be compensated by
the every diminishing gravity inwards, and vice versa. So
variable G steeplechase and decathlon events could be made
possible in torus settlements as well - with properly attentive
design.
The coaxial areas of Bernal Spheres and Cylinder
habitats, if free of power-generation or light transmission
activity and equipment could offer a precarious perch for zero-
G mimicking events. However the region is unstable in that
any displacement at all, however tiny, from dead axis center
means inevitable acceleration towards the nearer surface. That,
of course, could be part of the game plan of any number of
events designed to play on just such a certainty. Events like
human winged- flight, gymnastics, and diving (bungeeconstrained
or pool-bound) are plausible.
One thing such megastructures will offer is a lot of
open air, at least by early frontier standards. And the sheer
inner surface spaciousness of Island III cylinders, on the order
of dozens of square miles, makes them ideal for traditional type
marathons. In all honesty, however, construction of such
grandiose habitats by mid-century is questionable.
More modest artificial gravity structures, especially
tether-split-and-spun deep space ferries on long journeys are
very likely in such a time frame and in such mobile venues is
where artificial-G sports and athletic events will take root.
Artificial gravity can even be simulated by resultant
acceleration, at higher than native levels on the Moon and Mars
(even on asteroids) by means of pressurized gyms riding an
appropriately banked circular Maglev track at a set speed. Such
Moon Miners’ Manifesto Classics - Year 10 - Republished January 2006 - Page 78