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star trek - Why does Deep Space Nine spin?


In DS9: Afterimage Ezri Dax is suffering from a bout of 'space sickness' and asks Sisko if Chief O'Brien can slow down the spinning of the station.



EZRI: Do you think the chief could adjust the inertial dampers so the station would spin a little slower?




Within the Star Trek universe, artificial gravity seems under control to the point of being completely taken for granted, so why does DS9 spin? Do all space stations spin?



Answer



According to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Technical Manual the rotation was driven by four factors:




  • To control the rotation imparted by the processes of docking and undocking spaceships.




  • To control the additional centrifugal force imparted by transferring ore from the processing centre (at the middle of the station) to docked ships at the outer pylons.




    The internal skeletal structure provides only 22 percent, the remaining 8 percent being derived from the EPS conduit field effect, which acts as a crude structural integrity field (SIF) system.


    While some Starfleet engineers have looked upon this area as over-designed, it has worked exceedingly well for the Cardassians. especially in the pylons' ability to damp out lateral and rotational forces imparted by both docking space vessels and large moving masses within the pylons.





  • To provide thermal control, so that half of the station isn't permanently in darkness and the other half permanently in light (thus preventing one side from overheating).



    For example, a continuing topic for debate centers around the reason ops and the commander's window are aligned on a vector that seems to relate to no other symmetrical division, 30 degrees away from the ops- Pylon 3 centerline and 30 degrees away from the ops-Pylon 1 centerline. The most plausible explanation involves the mechanics of Terok Nor's synchronous orbit about Bajor and the thermal control rotation of the station.






  • There's also the suggestion that the need for a rotational period may be somewhat driven by the desire to have Cardassia Prime in view at all times from the Prefect's office.



    A possible correlation exists in which Cardassia Prime and its parent star would be visible through the window center at all times.





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