A "Fun Module" on a station?

[Tex]

Now, because we are all understanding of how frankly awesome microgravity is to live and work in, here is my question:

Say, on a mission to Mars, or some sort of long duration (1 year+) mission, would it be worth it in terms of crew cooperation and sanity-preserving terms to have a dedicated module that is full of games and lots of room to play in?

Think about Skylab: these guys had an enormous area in which to work in, so much so that they tested jetpacks inside. Inside. So should/could there be a large, empty module fit for screwing around in in your free time in space?

[hugix]

When you're on a long space mission one of the required activities is exercise to preserve muscle loss. I believe astronauts aboard the ISS sport more than two hours every day.

When going to Mars, no doubt exercise equipment will be brought along. the trip to and from Mars will be very boring, Their won't be enough science equipment to fill the crew's days like they do on the ISS. It would be a smart choice to spend their time training, fighting muscle atrophy.

I'm not sure if this really works but for me personally sports make me feel better. During the summers I like to mountain bike and I notice how much more comfortable I am during the periods I sport.

I do not think their should be a module for board games and whatnot. First of all. All the chess pieces would flow throug the ship. You would lose pieces very quickly!

Secondly, most games and entertainment nowadays are in the form of software. If the astronauts want to play Risk in space it is easier to download a Risk app then to carry along as boardgame (that uses space that would otherwise be filled with food)

[xenomorph555]

Who even mentioned board games?

[Sillychris]

They should bring a healthy supply of whips, fuzzy handcuffs, and wetnaps.

[goldenpeach]

Who even mentioned board games?

What about a chess game?

(I had to make this reference)

To stay on subject, this addition could be cool. It would also be useful if sanity(or something similar) is implanted.

[vger]

Keep in mind augmented and/or virtual reality games will continue to develop while we're looking for ways to make long-term space travel more practical.

It won't be any holo-deck, but it will allow for forms of exercise-inclusive entertainment in cramped quarters that would otherwise be impossible, not to mention relaxation.

Imagine being on day 100 of your mission, and then a second later, being able to lounge on a beach and listen to the surf?

[Nuke]

Keep in mind augmented and/or virtual reality games will continue to develop...

funny, i heard people say this back in the 90s. now i can go to the store and get me an hmd is exactly the same as the ones we had in the 90s. or i can wait an indefinite amount of time for a consumer version of the oculus rift.

[vger]

funny, i heard people say this back in the 90s. now i can go to the store and get me an hmd is exactly the same as the ones we had in the 90s. or i can wait an indefinite amount of time for a consumer version of the oculus rift.

Things have changed a great deal since then. Notice how full-motion capture is now more or less a necessary feature in gaming consoles?

When Nintendo did things like the Power Pad back in the 80's, it was gimmicky and supported only a tiny handful of games, and had nowhere near as much functionality. Current technology also allows us to achieve things that VR could never have done in the 90's, without the clunky headgear, and even without external tracking devices.

And, just in case you never saw this before...

Now picture that, but give the device the ability to map the layout of the house, and then superimpose virtual objects in it. Your home, your backyard, or anywhere else, immediately becomes your playing field. The computing power may not quite be there yet to track all of the motion and update it fast enough, but it will be there soon enough.

Edited April 22, 2014 by vger

[Duxwing]

In the Age of Sail, old sails would be lowered into the water to guard water-frolicking sailors from hungry sharks. In the Age of Space, a thin lead sheet could balloon from the hull to allow suited astronauts to frolic in hundreds of cubic meters of space and PVC tubing. The ship's computer would be powerful enough to entertain everyone else; e.g., with multiplayer Kerbal Space Program.

-Duxwing

[Nuke]

Things have changed a great deal since then. Notice how full-motion capture is now more or less a necessary feature in gaming consoles?

When Nintendo did things like the Power Pad back in the 80's, it was gimmicky and supported only a tiny handful of games, and had nowhere near as much functionality. Current technology also allows us to achieve things that VR could never have done in the 90's, without the clunky headgear, and even without external tracking devices.

And, just in case you never saw this before...

Now picture that, but give the device the ability to map the layout of the house, and then superimpose virtual objects in it. Your home, your backyard, or anywhere else, immediately becomes your playing field. The computing power may not quite be there yet to track all of the motion and update it fast enough, but it will be there soon enough.

i merely ment to say that vr did not evolve as rapidly as people thought it would. in 2 or so decades it didnt really change at all, which is sort of why john carmack got involved. or goggles and the boom in sensor tech we have been seeing in the last several years might help to change that. but im not holding my breath.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Nuke

[DaveofDefeat]

Set phasers to fun!

[Tex]

Set phasers to fun!

Precisely, Dave, precisely!

And what I mean by "games" on board a spacecraft is ordinary little toys like soft balls for zero-g catch, or possibly those inflatable boxing gloves for a (GENTLE) boxing match in space! Of course board games wouldn't be able to work very well, unless you took the approach to make the pieces sticky enough to stick to the board and be replaceable. This is actually the method a couple used to play Scrabble whilst skydiving.

So absurd. I love people.

[ThinkOutsideTheHangar]

It would be nice, but couldn't they just bring a small compartment for games instead of waste time docking an entire module to a manned craft?

[makinyashikino]

Honestly, video games make the most sense in space, as 1) They take up VERY little room, as they can be played on an playing card sized device, were talking about board games and things of that nature. The reduced space means more food and more room for other things. Maybe they could launch some more powerful laptops and play KSP! 2) They don't get lost or interfere with the equipment. If a velcroed chess piece floats away on accident, if could interfere with the machinery if it floats and jams into something. If you lose a chess piece, you have to improvise pieces or play a different game.

[TerLoki]

It doesn't necessarily need to be a whole module, as on a trip like that you'd probably already have a large habitat module or two that could have a designated "rec room" area. Like everyone else has said, video games and other audio or visual media (music, audio books, movies, etc) would probably be best, that way you'd only have to send up software and maybe a few sets of headphones. Of course while weight is a concern, I doubt that it would affect your fuel reserves by any appreciable amount to bring up a couple of small travel-sized board games (y'know, with magnetized pieces, the kind you can get at Wal-Mart), playing cards, and some other gizmos for recreation.

After all, Al Shepard smuggled a golf club onto Apollo 14 and there's a guitar on the ISS, and they're not hurting for space.

Edit: And now to wait for some bored astronaut to "simulate" their mission by running RSS mod on a laptop while en route to Mars.

Edited April 23, 2014 by TerLoki

[Stargate525]

In the Age of Sail, old sails would be lowered into the water to guard water-frolicking sailors from hungry sharks. In the Age of Space, a thin lead sheet could balloon from the hull to allow suited astronauts to frolic in hundreds of cubic meters of space and PVC tubing. The ship's computer would be powerful enough to entertain everyone else; e.g., with multiplayer Kerbal Space Program.

-Duxwing

Bad idea. One astronaut loses his handhold, hits the envelope a little too hard, and there go the occupants of the bubble as well as hundred of cubic meters of your air supply. Metals thin enough to inflate are SUPER delicate; touching them too hard can make them rip.

I assume the lead was to guard against radiation. You could simply inflate a standard inflatable module in the shade of whatever rad shield the main vessel has, or make a lead-filament cloth to inflate.

After all, Al Shepard smuggled a golf club onto Apollo 14 and there's a guitar on the ISS, and they're not hurting for space.

Lets not forget sleigh bells and a harmonica on Gemini; and those were essentially large capsule-shaped spacesuits.

[cantab]

Of course board games wouldn't be able to work very well, unless you took the approach to make the pieces sticky enough to stick to the board and be replaceable.

Or you just use magnets like every pound-shop travel game does.

I expect that as with most space missions, the astronauts would be given a small weight allowance to use for their personal effects. Pretty much anything could go up in that.

While they undoubtedly will have a pretty good computer entertainment system, I believe the mission planners would be foolish to use that as an excuse to skimp on physical recreation items. Playing chess on a computer screen just isn't the same.

[Nuke]

it would be a good time to work on your phd thesis, provided you didnt already have a phd. you could fill a paper with many a stupid zero g experiment.

[Fr8monkey]

4 words... Zero Gee Stripper Poles!

[NovaSilisko]

[Othuyeg]

Hasn't holodeck always been the number one solution to this?

[Guest]

A station module for playing sports in zero-g! Totally practical...make sure to pack hard objects for throwing at your fellow astronauts!

[Fr8monkey]

Would you really use that death trap. Safer riding in one of Jebs rocket designs.

[Seret]

I do not think their should be a module for board games and whatnot. First of all. All the chess pieces would flow throug the ship. You would lose pieces very quickly

I'd be very surprised if there wasn't a chess set on the ISS already. Give me some black and white self adhesive Velcro and half an hour and I could make you a chess set that would work in micro g.

[KASASpace]

YES.

However, not too big. If too big, it might cause "space sickness"

Basically, like seasickness, except completely different.

although, some Zero-G sports would be awesome! Like Zero-G soccer.

(I know it's not actually zero g!)

Plus, it should probably have some semblance of home. Maybe even have plants inside that module.

- - - Updated - - -

I'd be very surprised if there wasn't a chess set on the ISS already. Give me some black and white self adhesive Velcro and half an hour and I could make you a chess set that would work in micro g.

I think they did use one in some space mission previously.