Mars Artificial Gravity Habitat with Centrifugation (MAGICIAN)

Extended exposure to microgravity has detrimental effects on human health. Long-duration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond will contend with partial gravity on planetary surfaces, the effects of which are still poorly understood. To mitigate the risk of negative health effects during a human mission to Mars, we propose a novel, rotating habitat located on the surface of Mars that is capable of providing 1g to its inhabitants. The Mars Artificial Gravity Habitat with Centrifugation (MAGICIAN) leverages centrifugal forces to create an artificial gravity environment akin to Earth’s. It comprises a series of pressurized modules moving continuously on rails about a circular track. The combination of centrifugation and the Martian gravity creates a resultant acceleration vector of 1g inside the habitat. This paper describes the MAGICIAN mission concept, the major trade-offs involved in its design, and the major subsystems of the habitat. In particular, the habitat rotates at an angular velocity of 5 RPM and it has 33 meter radius. The modules are tilted 67.7 degrees to ensure that the resultant gravitational acceleration is aligned with the perceived vertical. The major subsystems and key design considerations of the MAGICIAN habitat are also outlined, including details on the selected rail structure, power generation, environmental control and life support systems, radiation shielding, nutrition needs for the crew, safety concerns, and risk mitigation strategies. Finally, an assessment of mission costs and risks serves to judge the overall feasibility of the MAGICIAN habitat.