Roy_H: bicycle-wheel station (2018–2025)

Roy_H's later design: a cable-spoked wheel of inflatable modules around a non-rotating hub, for ~240 people.

Design summary

• Structure. A flat walkway around the rim, with bicycle-wheel crossed cables made of carbon-fibre Hoytethers. Two large free-turning wheels at the hub hang the cables Roy_H, 2018-06-23; Roy_H, 2018-06-24.
• Hub. Non-rotating, made of 3 BA2100s + a BA330, with solar at one end and docking at the other. It is never despun Roy_H, 2018-06-24; Roy_H, 2018-07-19.
• Rim modules. Purpose-built pre-inflated BA1400 modules (18 × 12 m, 3 levels), launched outfitted Roy_H, 2018-07-19.
• Population. ~240 people in 16 people-modules; the rest are agricultural (chickens, sheep, fish; no cows or pigs) Roy_H, 2022-12-08.
• Orientation.
• Axis perpendicular to the sun; 30 s sun/shade cycles are acceptable Roy_H, 2018-07-05.
• Axis 90° to the orbital plane minimizes precession Roy_H, 2022-12-08.
• North–south axis needs no reorientation Roy_H, 2018-08-29.
• Safety.
• Bicycle-spoke tethers keep the ring intact if a rim module breaks Roy_H, 2022-12-08.
• Airlocks between modules close automatically.
• Balance. Oil ballast (lower freezing point, higher boiling point, lubricant) Roy_H, 2018-08-05. Target eccentricity 1–2 cm; two elevators 180° apart in unison Roy_H, 2022-10-04; Roy_H, 2022-10-04.
• Energy. lamontagne computed ~2500 MJ of rotational KE at 2 rpm (~2000 t), about 5 h of a 200 kW VASIMR lamontagne, 2018-08-06.
• Website (2025). rotatingspacestation.com Roy_H, 2025-04-09.
• A utility room below the main floor (ballast tanks, pumps, water, sewage, air).
• Earth-built modules with separate airlocks; hoytether straps to the hub; an optional second parallel ring Roy_H, 2025-04-10.
• A few-cm eccentricity target; floating microgravity modules in the non-rotating hub Roy_H, 2025-04-11.
• Revenue. 0 g manufacturing, research, tourism, Hollywood films Roy_H, 2022-12-08. It needs an anchor tenant Roy_H, 2018-07-20.

Critiques raised

• If a module is the size of the fairing, aluminium is cheaper; inflatables can't be launched outfitted Jim, 2018-07-03.
• 2 rpm and half-day 0 g/1 g switching are untested (Roy_H concedes) Roy_H, 2018-07-19.
• Coastal Ron: infrastructure and single-path safety Coastal Ron, 2025-04-09.
• A cable-supported ring can "unzip" if a rim connection and cables are severed, so add sacrificial breaker modules mikelepage, 2018-08-06.

Open questions

• Will a non-rotating hub on bearings stay vibration-free enough for microgravity work?

Related pages

• Roy_H 2014 design · Wheel and torus · Inflatable modules

Sources

Forum posts

• Roy_H, 2018-06-23 (reply #842): 2018 wheel. Post. Attachments: MainCutaway.png, AgriculturalModule3.png, StateroomLayout.png.
• Roy_H, 2018-06-24 (reply #843): BA1400 modules. Post. Attachments: WholeStation.png, CentralHub.png, AssembledRimModules.png.
• Roy_H, 2018-06-24 (reply #846): Hub; never despun. Post.
• Jim, 2018-07-03 (reply #857, 2 likes): Jim critique. Post.
• Roy_H, 2018-07-05 (reply #877): 30 s sun/shade OK. Post.
• Roy_H, 2018-07-19 (reply #987, 2 likes): Hub BA2100s. Post. Attachments: SpaceStationDark.png, HubCloseUp.png, ElevatorDockedAtRim.png.
• Roy_H, 2018-07-19 (reply #988, 1 like): BA1400 3 levels. Post. Attachments: OfficeCutaway.png, CafeteriaStairsCamera.png.
• Roy_H, 2018-07-20 (reply #994, 1 like): Anchor tenant. Post.
• Roy_H, 2018-08-05 (reply #1155): Oil ballast. Post. Attachments: SpaceStation.pdf.
• mikelepage, 2018-08-06 (reply #1187): Unzipping. Post. Attachments: Severed capsule+cables.png.
• lamontagne, 2018-08-06 (reply #1188): Rotational KE. Post.
• Roy_H, 2018-08-29 (reply #1200): N–S axis. Post. Attachments: SpaceStation.pdf.
• Roy_H, 2022-10-04 (reply #1835): Two elevators. Post.
• Roy_H, 2022-10-04 (reply #1854): Eccentricity target. Post.
• Roy_H, 2022-12-08 (reply #2572, 2 likes): SpaceStation.pdf summary. Post. Attachments: SpaceStation.pdf, SpaceStationDark_small.jpg, CafiteriaModuleCutaway_small.jpg, CafeteriaInterior_small.jpg, StateroomLayoutSmall.png.
• Roy_H, 2022-12-08 (reply #2574): Axis ⟂ orbital plane. Post.
• Roy_H, 2022-12-08 (reply #2593): Spokes keep ring intact. Post.
• Roy_H, 2025-04-09 (reply #4839, 3 likes): Website (3 likes). Post.
• Coastal Ron, 2025-04-09 (reply #4841): Single-path safety. Post.
• Roy_H, 2025-04-10 (reply #4843): Utility room, second ring. Post.
• Roy_H, 2025-04-11 (reply #4849): Microgravity modules. Post.

External references

• rotatingspacestation.com (Roy_H's proposal).