National Aeronautics and Space Administration Life Science Acceleration Research Facilities Dedicated to improving our understanding of the effects of gravity on living systems facts
20 g Centrifuge
At NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett The Flight Systems Implementation Branch Field, Calif., a unique suite of acceleration of the Space Biosciences Division at Ames systems enables researchers to evaluate of operates and supports experiments using the the effects of high g-forces on humans, hard- acceleration facilities. ware, and various biological specimens. The staff assists investigators with planning
Five centrifuges, each configured to accom- and implementing studies. Resident science NASA modate different types of experimental pay- advisors provide counsel to investigators to loads, combined with resident staff expertise help maximize the accomplishment of re- and supporting resources, allow researchers search objectives. to conduct studies at Ames that cannot be performed in any other NASA facility. For more information, contact: Daniel Morgan A wide range of test articles can be evaluated Acceleration Facilities Manager during studies of acute or chronic exposure NASA Ames Research Center to a hyper g environment including mechani- 650-604-0478 cal, fluid, thermal, electrical, and electronic daniel.g.morgan@nasa.gov systems. Biological specimens range from spacebiosciences.arc.nasa.gov microbes to humans and may include small animals, plants, tissue cultures, and micro- ecosystems.
24-Foot Centrifuge 8-Foot Centrifuge Human Performance Centrifuge Life Science Acceleration Research Facilities
The 20 g Centrifuge is used for studying the ef- up to 5 g at the subject’s feet while maintaining 1 fects of hypergravity on humans and non-human g at the subject’s head, allowing for study of grav- subjects and also for evaluating flight hardware. ity gradient effects. An ergometer system can be It is the only human-rated NASA facility that pro- added for protocols requiring subject exercise. duces sustained launch/return accelerations. There are three enclosures: one contains a modified jet The 24-foot Centrifuge accommodates small ani- fighter seat for human subjects; the second can be mal, plant and hardware payloads. The configurable configured to meet an investigator’s needs and cur- system can provide enclosures with different ac- rently contains a generic space capsule seat provid- celeration levels during a single experiment. Pow- ing both launch acceleration and vibration loads to ered habitat enclosures include continuous data the human subjects. Either of these enclosures can and video monitoring. The system accommodates be configured to support other human or non- hu- rotational and stationary controls. man studies. A third enclosure is near-center and may be used for on center controls for angular The 8-foot Centrifuge is designed for temperature acceleration or to study gravity gradient effects. In controlled small animal and plant research. Pow- addition, the open portions of the centrifuge arms ered, cooled habitat enclosures include continuous between cabs can be utilized for both human and data and video monitoring. The system accommo- non-human payloads. Swing baskets attached to dates rotational and stationary controls. movable support frames are available for locations along the centrifuge arms and allow multiple g-load The Low Vibration Rotational Device is a single application during a single test run for non-human arm centrifuge that provides smooth angular ac- experiments. celerations with minimal vibration. It may be used with an onboard tissue culture incubator to study The Human Performance Centrifuge accommo- the effects of acute or chronic hypergravity expo- dates supine human subjects and produces forces sure on cell cultures. An identical incubator is lo- cated off-board to provide a 1 g stationary control.
Payload Max Ames Facility Payload Acceleration Radius Exposure Capacity RPM* 3 unique Humans, rodents, 1-20 g 29 feet, variable enclosures, 20 g Centrifuge microbes, plants, (Human-rated (enclosures are 50 Acute or chronic (1,200 lbs hardware to 12.5 g) fixed) total) 1-5 g Human Perfor- 1-2 subjects Humans (at subject’s 6.5 feet, fixed 50 Acute mance Centrifuge (500 lbs total) feet) 20 enclosures Acute or chronic Small animals, 24-foot Centrifuge (up to 100 lbs 1-3 g 12 feet, variable 30.5 (with stops for plants, hardware each) animal husbandry) Fixed at 4 feet, 4 enclosures Acute or chronic Small animals, except to achieve 8-foot Centrifuge (up to 192 lbs 1-4 g 42.3 (with stops for tissue cultures 4 g an extension each) animal husbandry) is used Low Vibration Ro- Tissue cultures, 1 enclosure 1-5 g 10 feet, variable 45 Acute or chronic tational Device hardware (500 lbs)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration *RPM = Revolutions Per Minute Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA 94035 www.nasa.gov NASA Facts FS-2013-10-02-ARC