The Centrifuge Accommodations Module (CAM) is a cancelled element of the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...

(ISS). Although the module was planned to contain several parts, the

centrifuge A centrifuge is a device that uses centrifugal force to subject a specimen to a specified constant force - for example, to separate various components of a fluid. This is achieved by spinning the fluid at high speed within a container, thereby ...

still was considered the most important capability of the module.

History

The centrifuge would have provided controlled acceleration rates ( artificial gravity) for experiments and the capability to: *Expose a variety of biological specimens that are less than tall to artificial gravity levels between 0.01g and 2g. *Simultaneously provide two different artificial gravity levels. *Provide partial g and hyper g environment for specimens to investigate altered gravity effects and g-thresholds. *Provide short duration and partial g and hyper g environment for specimens to investigate temporal effects of gravity exposure. *Provide

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

simulation environment on ISS to isolate

microgravity Weightlessness is the complete or near-complete absence of the sensation of weight, i.e., zero apparent weight. It is also termed zero g-force, or zero-g (named after the g-force) or, incorrectly, zero gravity. Weight is a measurement of the fo ...

effects on specimens. *Provide Earth simulation environment on ISS to allow specimens to recover from microgravity effects. *Provide

in situ is a Latin phrase meaning 'in place' or 'on site', derived from ' ('in') and ' ( ablative of ''situs'', ). The term typically refers to the examination or occurrence of a process within its original context, without relocation. The term is use ...

1g controls for specimens in micro-gravity. It was built by

JAXA The is the Japanese national air and space agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003. JAXA is responsible for research, technology development and launch of satellites into o ...

's predecessor,

NASDA The , or NASDA, was a Japanese national space agency established on October 1, 1969 under the National Space Development Agency Law only for peaceful purposes. Based on the Space Development Program enacted by the Minister of Education, Culture ...

, but owned by

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

, who obtained ownership of the CAM by trading in a free launch of the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo to the ISS. The CAM flight model along with the engineering model of the centrifuge rotor were manufactured. The CAM would have been attached to the zenith port on the

Harmony module ''Harmony'', also known as ''Node 2'', is the "utility hub" of the International Space Station. It connects the laboratory modules of the United States, Europe and Japan, as well as providing electrical power and electronic data. Sleeping cabi ...

of the ISS. It was cancelled in 2005 alongside the

Habitation Module The Habitation Module for the International Space Station was intended to be the Station's main living quarters designed with Galley (kitchen), galley, toilet, shower, sleep stations and medical facilities. About the size of a bus, the module wa ...

and the Crew Return Vehicle, because of ISS cost overruns and scheduling problems in Space Shuttle assembly flights. It is now on display in an outdoor exhibit at the

Tsukuba Space Center The Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC) also known by its radio Call sign, callsign Tsukuba, is the operations facility and headquarters for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) located in Tsukuba Science City in Ibaraki Prefecture. The facil ...

in Japan.CAM Location
Japan Map's satellite image, Yahoo!

References

External

Centrifuge
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) {{Use American English, date=January 2014 Centrifuges Cancelled spacecraft Components of the International Space Station

History

See also

References

External