Bernal sphere

The Bernal sphere is a model of a space station, which is to offer their residents a permanent and long-term habitat. It was introduced in 1929 by British physicist Dr. John Desmond Bernal and want a population of about 20,000 to 30,000 people can accommodate.

The first approach describes a cylindrical hollow structure with a diameter of 1.6 km, which is enclosed by outer rings and on the solar air-filled inside a biosphere is created. By rapid rotation of the hollow body an earth-like artificial gravity is generated on the inside walls by centrifugal force. Additional solar panels capture sunlight for lighting and energy budget of the colony.

In later drafts of the project Weltraumkolonisierung, such as where Gerard Kitchen O'Neill and NASA, even Bernal's idea under the name of Iceland Iceland One and Two was revived.