Visiting Crews

SAM is a research station built for you—a visiting researcher, an engineer, an inventor who has an idea to explore, a prototype to test, or a food cultivar to study that just might help us prepare to become an interplanetary species whil also helping us become better custodians of our home planet too.

We welcome individuals and teams. You can bring a project to SAM for use during a mission that is not your own, or bring your own crew of up to 4 individuals, from six days to two weeks sealed inside our pressurized facility. Our core competency is bioregeneration—circular air, water, and food systems that work to support long-duration missions to distant, challenging domains.

We support undergraduate and graduate student projects, aerospace industry professionals, and analog astronaut crews that bring to SAM rich, dynamic mission objectives that integrate science into a strong vision for how our unique facilities can be put to good use.

Our geologically accurate Mars yard is world-class, with nearly 3000 sq-ft of sculpted features to explore on foot, by rover or drone. Use of our pressure suits restricts movement and time in the field, thereby making more challenging and real the EVA experience. Our Reduced Gravity Simulator enables a strong approximation of locomotion on the Moon and Mars.

The surrounding Biosphere 2 campus is stunning! Nearby mountains hold snow for the winter and spring, with wild javelinas, turkeys, bobcats, coyotes, and deer experienced nearly every day. As a visitor to SAM the world famous Biosphere 2 is yours to explore. Staying in the Casitas will keep you on your feet, enjoying the out-of-doors when not in our Mars yard or SAM proper.

Get your ideas going. Reach out to us. And we hope to work with you soon!