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

a facility would allow lunar and Martian residents to practice
for higher gravity level space decathlon events.
We are not used to thinking about the external environments
of rotating habitats. But certainly tethered-EVA
sporting events outside rotating hulls are conceivable. One
possibility dubbed “dangle-jectory rally” was illustrated in the
MMM # 30 article referenced above.
“By shortening a tether to the hub, one would advance on
the rotating structure; by paying the tether out one would fall
behind - simple conservation of angular momentum. Using such
maneuvers in tag matches might be risky, but rallye-type events in
which one races the clock directly, and competitors only
indirectly, attempting to land first on a forward perch or tag ring,
then on one to the rear, before returning ‘home’. all by
manipulating the effective length of the tether, could provide
healthy adrenalin-pumping sport.”
Mars Events and Games
Martians-to-be will develop their own set of sports
and track and field events, some reminiscent of those practiced
on Earth or the Moon, some uniquely different. Mars 3/8ths
gravity level will allow more traction and quicker maneuvering
than on the Moon, but still much less than on Earth.
The thin atmosphere will be friendlier to suited surface
events than is the harsh lunar vacuum. But Mars still will
be a far cry from open air, open skied Earth.
The important thing to remember for our topic, the
Olympic Space Games, is that until as yet unimagined forms of
transportation drastically reduce Mars’ very effective isolation
from the Earth-Moon-L4/5 system, Mars with its own orbital
facilities and outposts on the moonlets Phobos or Deimos is
more likely to develop its own set of parochial games. Integration
into some pan-ecumenical Solar System wide Games
seems well beyond the horizon. Travel windows are irreducibly
25 months apart, and travel times, even by proposed nuclear
ships, involve some months.
Martian youth back in the Earth Moon system for university
studies may carry the Martian flag into Olympic Space
Games competitions. Of that concession, we can be sure.
Mini-G Venues
What about the asteroids as venues for the pursuit of
the Olympic athletic ideal? Ceres, by far the largest, boasts
only 3% of Earth-normal gravity. (Several satellites of Jupiter,
Saturn, and Uranus, as well as Pluto and Charon have gravities
in between the Moon;s and Ceres’.) All other asteroid bodies
have less than that 3%. In most instances the ambient “mini-G”
is so minimal as to merely put an “English” on activities that
are near zero-G like. The same type of events that work in
freefall will work with a little adaptation in mini-G. Those
choosing to live in such locations or working there on assignment
will surely compete among themselves.
The remarks made about Mars’ participatory isolation
go double for the asteroids, any of them singly, all of them as a
group. Low delta-V trajectories notwithstanding, infrequent
windows and long travel times and low human populations will
make them the ultimate competitive sports boondocks. Again,
asteroid-raised youth back in the home system for school, will
proudly carry the banner of their adopted worldlets in the
cislunar Space Games.
Mini-G wrestlers will not need a pad. Indoor corridor
handrail races, slaloms, and steeplechases will be popular. On
the surface, cable and handrail off-ground races will work.
“Claw walking”, a horizontal analog of rock-pick climbing, is
an idea of Michael Thomas (reference above.) Heavily
ballasted isometrically hand and foot pedal-powered squirrel
cage (rimless? i.e. just spoked?) cycles could carry contestants
in races or rallies over the surface.
Even among themselves, in clock mediated events
where participants are far and long separated by distance and
time, records and winners will be hard to pin down. There is
simply to great a range of mini-gravity levels. Classes like
boxer weight divi sions (heavy weight, middle weight, welter
weight etc.) are one way this might be handled.
A Space Games Decathlon
Development of a well-rounded Space Games Decathlon
type competition will mark the coming of age of the future
Space Olympics. The winner will be dubbed “best athlete in
the Solar System”, probably with protests from the Martian
Media and disdain by Martian settlers. Oh well!
The question is should such a Decathlon have some
events (a trio) at Earth-normal gravity? The answer would
seem to be yes, especially if their are space habitats with artificial
gravity at Earth-normal levels. After all, being able to
compete under such taxing conditions (and heroically finish the
event, even if placing well behind) will be the only mark that
will earn the Lunan settler or freefaller true systemwide
respect. The mix of events should include a trio of zero-G and
sixthweight events each, and even a token Marts gravity level
event. Anyway, that’s a stab at it but I wouldn’t dare to be
more specific.
Yet longer range, a decathlon type competition that
excludes super-gravid events (Martian and terrestrial gravity
levels) may emerge to the forefront in Solar System wide
games. Ganymede, Callisto, Io, Europa, and Titan all have
gravity levels comparable to the Moon’s, and in all the Solar
System, no human-negotiable surface beyond Earth’s itself (six
times lunar standard) is more gravid, except for Mars (2.25
times lunar standard).
Participation by the handicapped
Non-prehensile limbs as opposed to prehensile ones
are designed to handle locomotion in a gravid environment. We
Moon Miners’ Manifesto Classics - Year 10 - Republished January 2006 - Page 79