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Manned Flight Inside an O'Neill Cylinder [closed]
Closed as unclear by ArtOfCode on Dec 31, 2025 at 13:12
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O'Neill Cylinder
An O'Neill cylinder is a proposed long-duration spaceflight vehicle. The classic concept is a large spinning cylinder with an open interior in which passengers, cargo, and crew live on the inside surface of the hull. The spinning hull creates artificial gravity through centripedal force. The artificial gravity keeps an optional ecosystem including soil, water, and crops anchored to the ground.
Setup
In a 100m-diameter O'Neill cylinder designed for a surface centrifugal force of one gee (9.8 m/s/s).
The rotational velocity us .4427 radians/sec. This gives a ground speed of 22.1 m/s (49 mph).
Prograde Motion
If you travel 49 mph in the direction of motion (say clockwise) your rotational velocity doubles. This means you feel (omega-squared r) FOUR times the centripedal force "gravity" that you would feel standing still.
Retrograde Motion
You can also take flight by traveling against the direction of rotation (counterclockwise). At 49 mph, your rotational velocity is zero -- so too is your centripedal force "gravity".
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