In the news

Crew Inclusion I completes first mission at SAM!

Arizona television station KGUN covers the first team entering SAM at Biosphere 2

Crew Inclusion I has concluded the first mission at SAM. At 10:00 AM Mountain Time, May 2, 2023, the crew released the pressure from the habitat via three ports, and once the internal pressure was equal to the outside, ambient pressure, Lindah Leigh of the original 1991-93 two year Biosphere 2 mission opened the hatch and greeting the crew on the airlock landing.

New channels KVOA, KGUN, and KOLD were on-site for the press conference held in the Mars yard adjacent to SAM.

KGUN – Channel 9
Space simulation wraps up at Biosphere 2

KVOA – Channel 4
Six-day Inclusion I Mission concludes on Biosphere 2 grounds

Mission accomplished on Biosphere 2 grounds

Six-day Inclusion I Mission concludes on Biosphere 2 grounds

KOLD – Chanel 13
Six day space study mission concludes in pressurized habitat at Biosphere 2

By |2024-03-17T03:35:30+00:00May 2nd, 2023|Categories: In the news, Research Teams|0 Comments

Crew Inclusion I enters SAM!

Arizona television station KGUN covers the first team entering SAM at Biosphere 2

Inclusion I, the very first first crew to enter SAM, the Space Analog for the Moon and Mars, sealed the outer airlock hatch today, April 27, 2023 at 10 AM. Inclusion I was welcomed by three television crews, two radio crews, Linda Leigh of the original Biosphere 2 mission, Executive Director of Biosphere 2 Joaquin Ruiz, Deputy Director of B2 John Adams, and more than 60 persons watching the first closure of this unique hermetically sealed, pressurized habitat. Interviews commenced at 5:00 AM and continued until 10:00 AM when one by one, Cassandra Klox, Eiman Jahangir, Bailey Burns, and Sheri Wells-Jensen entered SAM carrying their personal bins. They left their street shoes on the airlock landing and donned hab shoes provided by Astral Designs.

This event follows yesterday’s arduous 13+ hrs training in which the crew was given a hands-on course in the management of SAM pressure regulation, three-stage water recycling, networked fire detection and alert system, air quality monitoring, inedible food stabilization, A/C and dehumidifiers, hydroponics, and more.

Cassandra Klos, Commander and Crew Photographer, is a fine art photographer, curator, and analog astronaut. Eiman Jahangir, Medical officer, MD MPH is a Cardiologist, scuba diver, space enthusiast, and two-time NASA Astronaut Candidate finalist (2009 and 2013). Bailey Burns, Engineer, is an Aerospace Systems Engineer with Blue Origin, focusing on Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS), lunar dust mitigation, and lunar operations. Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen, Communications officer, Accessibility officer, is a linguist who teaches in the Linguistics/TESOL program at Bowling Green State University, Ohio.

Learn more about Inclusion I …

The Mission Objectives for Inclusion II are as follows:

  1. Understand whether the application of adaptive techniques can mitigate physiologic impact from isolation and mission induced stress during a terrestrial space analog mission.
  2. A study by Bailey Burns for Blue Origin (under NDA).
  3. Monitor carbon dioxide levels in SAM.
  4. SpaceKind Training in an Analog Environment.
  5. Construct a New Science Fiction through Documentation of Space Simulations, Mockups, and Ephemera
  6. Human Factors Study with University of Central Florida
  7. Accessibility Tasks and Experiments

Inclusion I will be operating SAM in Mode 2 (pressurized, flow-through) for the entirety of their mission. The crew will enjoy an all vegetarian diet of dehydrated and freeze-dried foods, with an exciting (from a vegetarian point of view) variety of grains and legumes, pasta, and spices, and opportunity to make home made bread.

Inclusion I is an assembly of motivated individuals who share a common passion for science. We are honored to receive this first team at SAM, with anticipation for their first EVA in a pressurized space suit in our prototype Mars yard, and egress two days before the start of the Analog Astronaut Conference.

By |2024-03-17T05:00:46+00:00April 27th, 2023|Categories: In the news, Research Teams|0 Comments

Analog Astronaut Conference at Biosphere 2 and SAM

Analog Astronaut Conference at Biosphere 2

We are proud to announce that the University of Arizona Biosphere 2 and SAM will host the third annual Analog Astronaut Conference, May 4-7, 2023. The theme is “How analog research can be applied to the UNSDG”. If this year’s event is anything like the one prior, it will prove to be yet another extraordinary assembly of extraordinary people with skills, experience, and stories from around the world shared in a common, stunning space.

Visit the Analog Astronaut Conference website and see you soon!

By |2023-04-12T07:08:39+00:00February 12th, 2023|Categories: In the news|0 Comments

Simulating residency on another world

Cover art for interview with Tim Swindle, Arizona Public Media (courtesy NASA)

Episode 350: Simulating residency on another world
Scientists predict people might spend years living off-world in the coming decades. Researcher Kai Staats describes how the University of Arizona’s Biosphere 2 is being used to practice long-duration stays on the moon and Mars.

Kai Staats spoke with Tim Swindle, director of the University of Arizona Space Institute.

Listen to the five minutes interview here

By |2023-07-07T01:43:48+00:00January 13th, 2023|Categories: In the news|0 Comments

Uplift Aerospace, AstroAccess at CHaSE

Uplift Aerospace, Astro Access complete first class at the Center for Human Space Exploration (CHaSE) at Biosphere 2

Uplift Aerospace’s Space+5 team has completed the inaugural spaceflight training program at the Center for Human Space Exploration (CHaSE), University of Arizona Biosphere 2 alongside three ambassadors from AstroAccess, and the humanoid robot Bina48 from Terasem Movement Foundation. The mission for this historic training program is to increase access, diversity, and inclusion in human space exploration.

The Space+5 is a five person spaceflight training class within Uplift Aerospace’s new community-led space program that embraces blockchain technology as a means to advance access to space with activations and research focused on key mission pillars: Art, Science, and Philanthropy. The Space+5 class is composed of Ruben Salinas who has been contracted by Uplift Aerospace for an upcoming suborbital space flight, Sydney Hamilton, Mike Mongo, Trent Tresch, and Joan Melendez-Misner.

The November 17-20 curriculum and training at Biosphere 2 and the University of Arizona recreation center was in collaboration with AstroAccess to develop ongoing programs and resources for future astronauts with disabilities. The training program was taught by Space+5 astronaut candidate and CHaSE founding Director Trent Tresch, Space+5 astronaut ambassador and mentor, Dr. Sian Proctor, executive director of the University of Arizona’s APEX aerospace medicine fellowship Dr. Mira Milas, with assistance and support by CHaSE co-founder Kai Staats, UA PhD student Atila Meszaros, and Paragon SDC aerospace engineer Baily Burns, and Mason Robbins of the Saxavord Space Port, Scotland.

The AstroAccess ambassadors are Sheila Xu, Eric Shear, and Mary Kate Cooper. Sheila Xu is currently pursuing dual MPP and MBA degrees at Harvard University and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is the first Deaf Asian female pilot and has interned at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Eric Shear is a graduate student at the University of Florida, where he is studying chemical engineering with the goal of working in the space industry on life support and in-situ resource utilization. Eric flew as part of the Deaf Crew on MAA1. Mary Cooper is a student pursuing a Masters of Science in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering at Stanford University, where she recently graduated with an undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering & Computer Science. Mary is a champion athlete and a below-the-knee amputee. Mary worked at SpaceX on the spaceflight training team to help prepare Polaris Dawn, NASA Crew-5 and Crew-6 for spaceflight.

The spaceflight training program included participation by humanoid robot Bina48 who was present for rount-table conversations and was represented in an emergency water egress training session at the UA pool.

By |2022-11-24T16:52:54+00:00November 22nd, 2022|Categories: In the news|0 Comments

Director for SAM, Lead Engineer for SIMOC speak at Mars Society 2022

Kai Staats, Director of Research and lead developer of the SAM Mars Habitat at Biosphere 2 shared the latest updates for the Space Analog for the Moon and Mars at the Mars Society Conference 2022. Following Kai, Ezio Melotti, Lead Developer for the Scalable, Interactive Model of an Off-world Community provided an engaging, informative introduction to agent-based modeling, the SIMOC platform for research and education, and some of the goals of this unique project.

Mars Society
Arizona State University
Sunday, October 23
Morning Plenaries
Video: Kai at 1:30:30; Ezio at 2:02:40

Thank you Mars Society and for solid audience participation!

By |2022-10-27T16:00:36+00:00October 24th, 2022|Categories: In the news|0 Comments

adAstra magazine features SAM

adAstra Magazine features SAM at Biosphere 2 - AA 2022-3 The Lunar Economy
Plus the Return to Mars and Everyday Heroes

The National Space Society’s adAstra magazine features SAM at Biosphere 2 in issue 2022-3. This five page article was written by reporter Melissa Silva. It weaves a brief history of Biosphere 2, the Test Module, with construction under the leadership of Director of Research Kai Staats.

By |2022-11-08T03:35:01+00:00October 1st, 2022|Categories: In the news|0 Comments

Analog Astronaut Conference at Biosphere 2 a success!

Analog Astronaut Conference attendees at SAM, Biosphere 2

From Friday May 6 through Sunday May 8 Biosphere 2 was proud to host the second annual Analog Astronaut Conference, co-founded by Inspiration 4 astronaut Sian Proctor. The event welcomed more than 100 persons from around the world, a diverse assembly of teachers and students, engineers and artists, writers, filmmakers, story tellers and yes, one full-fledged astronaut whose presentation was personal, motivational, and a fresh as if she had landed just yesterday.

Talks in two parallel tracks were a blend of the technical aspects of how research is conducted in a dozen analogs world-wide, and personal experience, stories from cold, wet, open-bottom submarines submerged in a nearly frozen lake, from a lava tube in Iceland and a renowned, NASA-funded facility in downtown Moscow, Russia. There was something for everyone, new or well versed in the analog world.

Deputy Director of Biosphere 2 John Adams, Director of Research for SAM Kai Staats, and Founding Director of the Center for Human Space Exploration (CHaSE) Trent Tresch were among the speakers, Kai and Trent providing behind-the-scenes tours of B2 and SAM Sunday morning before attendees packed their bags and bid farewell to old friends and new acquaintances alike.

There are many stories to tell and more photos to come, but for now we will conclude that the second annual Analog Astronaut Conference was a complete success!

Biospherian Mark Nelson joins a panel discussion at the Analog Astronaut Conference 2022, Biosphere 2 Inspiration 4 astronaut Sian Proctor presents to the Analog Astronaut Conference 2022, Biosphere 2 A gila monster explores the Mars yard crater at SAM, Biosphere 2 Group photo at the close of the Analog Astronaut Conference 2022, Biosphere 2

By |2022-05-28T14:59:10+00:00May 8th, 2022|Categories: In the news|0 Comments

Analog Astronaut Conference at Biosphere 2 and SAM

Analog Astronaut Conference at Biosphere 2, May 5-8, 2022

We are proud to announce that the University of Arizona Biosphere 2 and SAM will host the second annual Analog Astronaut Conference, May 5-8, 2022. The theme is “Learning from Space to Improve Earth and Humanity” with an emphasis on How analog missions allow us to learn from Space to Improve Earth and Humanity.

Visit the Analog Astronaut Conference website and see you soon!

By |2022-03-16T05:23:11+00:00January 1st, 2022|Categories: In the news|0 Comments

Article about Biosphere 2, SAM in Scientific American

Scientific American article

Biosphere 2: The Once Infamous Live-In Terrarium Is Transforming Climate Research
by By Keridwen Cornelius for Scientific American

“The Space Analog for the Moon and Mars (SAM) ‘is very much, at a scientific level and even a philosophical level, similar to the original Biosphere,’ says SAM director Kai Staats. Unlike other space analogues around the world, SAM will be a hermetically sealed habitat. Its primary purpose will be to discover how to transition from mechanical methods of generating breathable air to a self-sustaining system where plants, fungi and people produce a precise balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide.”

Read the full article at Scientific American …

By |2021-10-04T20:17:56+00:00October 4th, 2021|Categories: In the news|0 Comments
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