--- title: "Elon Musk Says Starship Will Spin for Artificial Gravity" description: "SpaceX CEO Elon Musk suggested Starship will spin slowly to create artificial gravity for passengers on their way to Mars." date: "2024-03-08" modified: "2024-03-08" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/elon-musk-starship-spin-artificial-gravity" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "artificial gravity" - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" --- # Elon Musk Says Starship Will Spin for Artificial Gravity ![SpaceX CEO Elon Musk suggested Starship will spin slowly to create artificial gravity for passengers on their way to Mars.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* SpaceX is gearing up for its third attempt to get its massive Starship spacecraft into orbit. In a [recent update](), the company hinted at a March 14 launch "pending regulatory approval." Meanwhile, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is already thinking many steps ahead, envisioning what'll be like to travel on board the spacecraft all the way to Mars. "Starship will have a small spin on the way to Mars," Musk [replied]() after Id Software founder John Carmack [suggested]() SpaceX should try to spin its Dragon astronaut shuttle to test out spin gravity. "Even a tiny gravity vector is better than none." The concept of artificial gravity using the inertial force of a rotating spacecraft has [been around for over a century]() and has been a stalwart in the world of science fiction for decades. Perhaps most famously, the Discovery One spacecraft in the sci-fi epic "2001: A Space Odyssey" allowed its inhabitants to go for a jog around a rotating centrifuge. There's a good reason behind all the trouble of spinning up a spacecraft in outer space. Scientists have discovered spending prolonged periods of time in microgravity can be detrimental to human health, including the [loss of bone density](), and "[Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome]()," which are changes in the shape of the eye that can affect vision. However, some core issues arise in the implementation of such a spin. For one, a spacecraft would have to be quite large to spin at a reasonable rate to generate enough centrifugal force. Generally speaking, the [smaller the radius]() of its angular velocity, the faster it has to spin to achieve the equivalent of the gravitational force on the Earth's surface, or 1g. Then there's the matter of astronauts getting motion-sick due to all of the spinning, as [*Wired* points out](). The effects of gravity may also differ between the astronaut's feet and head, which could have other unintended consequences. As astrophysics PhD Peter Hague pointed out in his reply to Musk's tweet, there's an alternative to having a single Starship spin around its own axis. "Why not send them in pairs and tether them together?" he [wrote](). "Can get a long radius and easily simulate Mars gravity that way." While Musk didn't respond to Hague directly, he [suggested]() back in 2021 that SpaceX was already considering this possibility. Then there's the issue of reliably capturing energy from the Sun. Space YouTuber Marcus House [pointed out]() that a spinning Starship would make keeping "cryo temps" and having "solar cells pointing in the right direction" a "big challenge." Design problems aside, SpaceX isn't alone in wanting to turn the science fiction idea into a reality. Other companies like Airbus are also [investigating spinning space stations]() in Earth's orbit to provide artificial gravity for astronauts. In 2021, NASA and Blue Origin also [announced]() a new initiative to study the concept, using a rapidly spinning capsule. But covering the millions of miles between the Earth and Mars is a very different task that comes with its own host of challenges. To be clear, SpaceX is still many years away from sending its Starship to Mars. The spacecraft has yet to even reach orbit, and has [exploded spectacularly]() during its first two attempts. And given Musk's strong tendency to mislead and make [largely meaningless predictions](), his comments should be taken with the usual grain of salt. However, given the health risks involved in spending months trapped on a small spacecraft on the way to Mars, it's perhaps wise to at least consider the use of artificial gravity — no matter how far-flung the idea. **More on Starship:** *[SpaceX Signs Deal to Launch Private Space Station]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()