Replacing gravity

Just read an article on Space.com about a suit that would provide resistance to give astronauts a sense of being under gravity's pull.

My question is, what exactly are the long term problems of not being under the pull of gravity, and would something like this be enough to fool the body so things don't deteriorate, or do we actually need the force itself present?

The comments suggest that it would be far simpler to go with the rotating containers that's been suggested for years. But if this is an alternative, not only would it help in zero g, but could be used on smaller gravity worlds, as well as maybe a trainer for heavier g worlds. And of course the spin offs of the tech would be useful as well.

Other than the engineering, what are the limitations or problems with using centripetal force for gravity in space? Do we even know a lot yet?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

. . . humorous guess . . . .without the 'pull' of gravity, one would simply 'float away' (somewhere) under the 'push' of the cosmological constant!

wlminex

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

The two major ones that recall at the moment are:
1. A large amount of loss of bone density if one is in zero-G for too long.Upon return to normal G, they can be dangerously brittle and easily break.

2. This is similar - loss of muscle mass, which can be serious and take a long period of rehabilitation to recover from.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

That's another point...going this route you would have to come up with other ways to get around, like magnetic shoes or something. But my focus was more on the human body itself. Is the stimulus of resistance enough to keep the body fit? This seems to be an improved version of the bungie cords and treadmill, where all the muscles would be under some stress as if they were in gravity.

 

Wasn't there something about infections in low/zero g environment?
I can't remember now.

 

There may be methods for keeping muscles in shape if they install a gym. Free weights would not work very well in a weightless environment, but a bowflex system could come in handy.

Would gravity be necessary for long term sanity?