The Space Analog for the Moon & Mars at Biosphere 2 has received $1,500,000 funding from the State of Arizona congress, as the governor passed this bill into law with the close of June 2023.
This incredible initiative was made possible by lobbyist and space enthusiast Brett Mecum and the Senator David Gowan who wrote the bill, introduced SAM Director Kai Staats to both the House and Senate for his presentations, and attended the exit of the first crew to attend SAM on May 2, 2023. Senator Gowan has demonstrated a keen interest in space exploration and recognizes the multi-fold value and international recognition it brings to the University of Arizona and the State of Arizona.
This is a game-changer for SAM, enabling us to move ahead for three years with dedicated funding for construction of the massive indoor Mars yard and upgrade of the SAM facilities.
We cannot thank Senator Gowan, Mr. Mecum, and the Arizona House and Senate for their support of our effort at the University of Arizona Biosphere 2 to help our species become interplanetary while advancing research and education in the sciences.
The funds are being immediately applied to construction of the Mars yard, carrying forward our nearly three years effort to build this leading, world-class research facility.
Thank you!
