What do research teams at SAM do?
SAM is a hi-fidelity analog and research station that leverages the world class expertise and facilities at the University of Arizona Biosphere 2 and the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC). SAM is built upon 5 principal lines of research (below) and welcomes research teams that work within these areas, or bring entirely new research projects to our facility.
- The transition from physicochemical (mechanical) to bioregenerative (plant-based) environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS), and the continuously shifting balance of these two as humans enter and exit, and crops are planted, consumed, and harvested.
- Learn how to close air, food, and water cycles for other-world exploration, and to become better custodians of our home planet Earth.
- Crew arrival, departure, and EVA evaluation of tools, construction and repair, data collection, and communication while encumbered by pressure suits and the testing of rovers and autonomous vehicles in a simulated terrain Mars yard.
- A study of the evolution of the microbial community of a transitional, hermetically sealed space occupied by both humans and plants.
- Computer models that accurately describe a functional, sustainable, long-duration hybrid ECLSS. In particular, SIMOC will be programmed to model SAM and eventually, learn to manage SAM’s life support systems through the application of machine learning.
These five research foci are by no means mandates, rather stimulation for the imagination. Researchers can work on-site to conduct experiments or install equipment to be operated remotely, or ship test and data collection systems to be installed by SAM staff.
Additional areas of scientific inquiry might include:
- Soil, hydroponic, and aquaponic agricultural systems
- Food production and food consumption studies
- Plant-based CO 2 sequestration and bioregeneration
- Converting regolith to soil, and soil health studies
- Transition from mechanical to sustainable, hybrid ECLSS solutions
- Seasonal radiation and artificial lighting studies
- AI and robotics automation and cohabitation
- Human factors, tool use, and haptics
- Use of fully functional pressure suits in the surrounding Mars yard
- Short-term food and sociology studies
- Long-term studies in human psychology will be considered only for qualified teams.
- To name a few …
Artists, writers, and filmmakers too!
SAM also welcomes non-scientific teams, such as artists, writers, and filmmakers. These team members must also submit a full proposal and undergo the full training required for safety and a positive SAM experience.
