China has created an artificial low – gravity research facility. The gravity of this place can be controlled with using powerful magnets by the scientists to such low levels that it could successfully simulate the moon’s gravity, according to sources.
Moon Has One-Sixth of Earth’s Gravity
The research facility can control the gravity inside a vacuum chamber that is 60 centimeters in diameter and make gravitational pull of the earth ‘disappear’. The moon has one-sixth of earth’s gravity and developing the ability to control it, despite Earth’s omnipresent gravitational pull, is a significant achievement that can help the scientist with future missions to moon.
However, because of small size chamber, it cannot be used to train the astronauts. Currently, NASA trains the astronauts for microgravity situations in high-altitude parabolic flights. The newly built research facility in China can maintain a low-gravity conditions for ‘as long as you want,’ Li Ruilin, a geotechnical engineer working at China University of Mining and Technology, told.
An Experiment That is ‘First of its Kind in the World’
As per Ruilin, the chamber will be filled with rocks and dust to totally simulate lunar surface, an experiment that Ruilin believed is ‘first of its kind in the world’. According to scientist, the facility which is built to augment China’s ongoing lunar exploration program, will be used to test extensively test technologies that a scientists plan to send to the moon.
This will help the scientist work out technical vulnerabilities in the expensive equipment and test durability of the instruments in a simulated lunar environment before deployment of the actual missions.
An Experiment Held In 1997, Inspired the Scientist
The scientist behind research says that they were inspired by 1997 experiment that used the magnets to completely levitate a frog. As per the original research, most of the ordinary material including a human beings exhibit weak diamagnetic object is placed under the strong enough magnetic field, its repulsion can even balance the gravity, levitating object in air and staying that way as a result.
