<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Increasing efforts to move into space have driven the need for new facilities that are capable of simulating weightlessness and other space gravity conditions on Earth. Simulation of weightlessness/<italic>microgravity</italic> (approximately 10<sup>−6</sup><italic>g</italic>) is conducted in different earthbound and flight-based facilities, often with poor availability. Other conditions such as lunar or Martian gravity with their partial Earth gravity/<italic>hypogravity</italic> cannot be performed at a large scale for scientific research on Earth. For multiple Earth gravity/<italic>hypergravity</italic>, simulation centrifuges are available, but they do not allow the possibility of abrupt acceleration changes. To support this wide range of conditions, a new technique is being developed to combine all of these requirements into a single drop tower facility. Currently under construction, the <italic>Einstein-Elevator</italic> of the Hannover Institute of Technology at the Leibniz Universität Hannover is an earthbound tool created for simulating micro-, hypo-, and hypergravity research with a high repetition rate. The facility will be capable of performing 100 experiments per day (8-h work shift), each creating 4 s of microgravity. For the first time, statistics can be applied in experiments under space gravity conditions at favorable costs and short mission times. The Einstein-Elevator offers room for large experiments with a diameter up to 1.7 m and a height up to 2 m as well as weights up to 1,000 kg. To perform larger experiments under different gravitational conditions, it was necessary to develop an innovative drive and guide concept. The Einstein-Elevator will be available for general research under different gravity conditions from 2018 onward.</p></abstract>

Increasing efforts to move into space have driven the need for new facilities that are capable of simulating weightlessness and other space gravity conditions on Earth. Simulation of weightlessness/microgravity (approximately 10−6g) is conducted in different earthbound and flight-based facilities, often with poor availability. Other conditions such as lunar or Martian gravity with their partial Earth gravity/hypogravity cannot be performed at a large scale for scientific research on Earth. For multiple Earth gravity/hypergravity, simulation centrifuges are available, but they do not allow the possibility of abrupt acceleration changes. To support this wide range of conditions, a new technique is being developed to combine all of these requirements into a single drop tower facility. Currently under construction, the Einstein-Elevator of the Hannover Institute of Technology at the Leibniz Universität Hannover is an earthbound tool created for simulating micro-, hypo-, and hypergravity research with a high repetition rate. The facility will be capable of performing 100 experiments per day (8-h work shift), each creating 4 s of microgravity. For the first time, statistics can be applied in experiments under space gravity conditions at favorable costs and short mission times. The Einstein-Elevator offers room for large experiments with a diameter up to 1.7 m and a height up to 2 m as well as weights up to 1,000 kg. To perform larger experiments under different gravitational conditions, it was necessary to develop an innovative drive and guide concept. The Einstein-Elevator will be available for general research under different gravity conditions from 2018 onward.

Einstein-Elevator: A New Facility for Research from μ<italic>g</italic> to 5 <italic>g</italic>

Institute of Transport and Automation Technology (ITA)

Institute of Quantum Optics (IQ), QUEST Leibniz Research School

Gravitational and Space Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Einstein-Elevator: A New Facility for Research from μ to 5 

Increasing efforts to move into space have driven the need for new facilities that are capable of simulating weightlessness and other space gravity conditions...

Einstein-Elevator: A New Facility for Research from μg to 5 g

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Jul 21, 2020

Page range: 11 - 27

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2017-0007

Keywords
Microgravity, Hypogravity, Hypergravity, Einstein-Elevator, Drop Tower, High Repetition Rate, Linear Motors, Vacuum Chamber

© 2017 Christoph Lotz et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Einstein-Elevator: A New Facility for Research from μg to 5 g

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Jul 21, 2020

Page range: 11 - 27

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2017-0007

KeywordsMicrogravity, Hypogravity, Hypergravity, Einstein-Elevator, Drop Tower, High Repetition Rate, Linear Motors, Vacuum Chamber

© 2017 Christoph Lotz et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Microgravity, Hypogravity, Hypergravity, Einstein-Elevator, Drop Tower, High Repetition Rate, Linear Motors, Vacuum Chamber