Touring Biosphere 2 in Arizona

History of Biosphere 2 – the original experiments

This ambitious mission originated from Space Biosphere Ventures, a private eccentric group of people and a guy with money. Construction began on the steel framed structure in 1987. It was built airtight and intended to be a completely closed system with the ability to support human life outside of Earth.

The structure included multiple biomes, living spaces, and agricultural areas.

In September 1991, four men and four women moved into the structure and didn’t emerge for two years. While inside, they grew their own food and conducted experiments. Much was learned throughout the process, however the mission group faced many challenges including significant oxygen loss and food shortage.

Initially the public was generally excited about the project. But criticism grew when they learned the mission wasn’t being fully self sustaining. In one instance, an injured team member was allowed to receive medical attention outside the enclosed structure and then return. And more importantly, with the imbalance of oxygen production, oxygen had been pumped into the building.

In September 1993, the experiment ended with an unsustainable outcome.

From the knowledge gained during the initial experiment, issues were corrected, and a second mission began in 1994. As turmoil abounded with management the mission was cut short, lasting only six months.

That was the end of Space Biosphere Ventures and the closed system experiments in the unique glass walled structure.

 

History of Biosphere 2 – university involvement

Columbia University managed the facility from 1995-2003, focusing on climate change research and education. With the uncertainty of the future of the complex, the University of Arizona took over research management in 2007. In 2011 the university took full ownership of the campus and facilities.

 

Biosphere 2 Today

Although, not to the extreme of locking people away for years, Biosphere 2 continues to advance our understanding of sustainability on and off Earth. It is the largest indoor environment for controlled scientific studies.

 

Touring Biosphere 2

Open to the public, a visit to Biosphere 2 includes a self-guided walking tour. Before arriving, download the Biosphere 2 app on your phone. As you wander throughout the facility, you will stop at various points to play videos using the app. The tour explains its 30 year history, with glimpses into the original experiments, as well as today’s research. There are options to add on guided tours of the lung and/or library. We opted to tour the lung, and I’m so glad we did. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and the lung was such a cool thing to see.

 

Living Quarters

The tour includes a look into the living quarters, including a staged kitchen and apartment, from the missions during the early ’90’s.

 

Biomes

The facility was originally built to represent the diversity on Earth – from the human habitat and farming to naturally occurring biomes. Today five biomes, including the ocean, mangrove wetlands, tropical rainforest, savanna grassland, and fog desert, remain for public viewing. This is a research facility, not a manicured botanical museum, so some areas are left in a natural state – meaning deadish or overgrown.

 

 

 

The Lung

To create the self sustaining environment many engineering marvels had to take place. One such design are the lungs of Biosphere 2.

The airtight building could not, on its own, expand and contract with the pressure changes that naturally occur during the day compared to night. If left alone, a window would likely break. And with that, the end of the mission.

A solution was engineered that attached lungs via air tunnels to the main structure. Biosphere 2 has two large lungs, each contained in their own domed building. Flexible rubber allows a metal disc to move up and down as air pressure increases or decreases in the room creating a fairly consistent air pressure for the closed ecosystem.

It was fascinating to watch the huge disc move using only air. Science is weird.

 

 

 

Farming

The original garden plots and domestic animals (goats, pigs, and chickens) are no longer on site. But, agriculture is still a part of Biosphere 2. One such research method is growing food vertically in a container that not only reduces water use, but reduces the space needed to grow food.

 

LEO

During the initial experiments, the area known as the lower habitat was used to grow the crews food. UA has repurposed the space as the world’s largest earth science lab calling it the Landscape Evolution Observatory, or LEO for short. It is designed to study how landscapes evolve over time.

 

SAM

A new and scientifically amazing facility at Biosphere 2 is SAM, or The Space Analog for the Moon and Mars. It is an airtight space created to study how to live and work on the moon and Mars.