((( RingWorld )))


Ever wonder what it would be like to live in a Ring World?

A circular man-made structure out in space where there is no gravity except the centrifugal force generated by the structure spinning? To people standing on the "floor" of the ring, it is hard to tell the difference from being on Earth, but there are important differences.

On Earth, gravity pulls us down and keeps us on the ground.
On a RingWorld there is no gravity, centrifugal force keeps the residents on the ground.
On the Earth a ball dropped from a height goes straight down, but what is "straight down" in space?
It may not be what you think!

Jump into a virtual RingWorld and see for yourself.
[50K Java applet, 4.x browser required]
You start with a rotating settlement with six story buildings. You can place balls on platforms at any height and make them fall to the ground. Try moving the balls and throwing them, too.


Further reading

Non-fiction and fiction:


Please send any feedback, bugs, or success stories to
David Whitney.
Include what machine, browser, or version of Java you are running on.
Last update: June 15, 1999.
Curator: Al Globus
If you find any errors on this page contact Al Globus.
Space Settlement hompage

This site was hosted by the NASA Ames Research Center from 1994-2018 and is now hosted by:

National Space Society