Conference 7.286::space

From: [email protected] (Miriam Nadel)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Ecological experimentation
Date: 2 Nov 87 23:46:32 GMT
Organization: Trailing Edge Technology, Redondo Beach, CA
 
    Unfortunately the types of plants we've been able to grow at
zero-G don't do much but make nice scenery.  The experiments done on
the shuttle did OK with oak trees and pools of algae but were
dramatically unsuccessful with grain.  The existence of
micro-organisms has led to a design concept which more or less
separates each species so you'd only get to look at the other species
under glass.  And, dearly as I love cats, I think most of them are too
neurotic to adjust well to space. 
 
>	NASA's director of Life Sciences Division is interested; I don't know
>what sort of involvement NASA has chosen, if any. This does have applications
>in settling the inner solar system, as the National Commission of Space said in
>its annual report. [So far, NASA has a single sphere which has survived sealed
>for 17 years- its occupants are one species of shrimp and three of algae. 
>However, nothing on a much grander scale has ever been attempted.]
 
    Not quite true.  NASA has been focused more on the practical
problems of growing plants at zero-G and has been thinking about
payload considerations as well (i.e. keeping weight down).  But they
do have several small experimental setups, most of which are partially
closed to mass transfer (even the so-called fully closed scenarios
that have been studied have about 3% of the human food supply coming
from stores, presumably for micronutrients that might be deficient in
an all-vegetarian diet.) 
 
>What sort of culture do these people set up? What kind of poetry or
>literature could come out of such an environment? Is eight people enough?
>Can the structure actually survive the two years? How can I get in on this 
>sort of experiment? [no smiley here, I want to be part of a landmark 
>ecological experiment as much as I want to go in space]
 
    The cultural question is probably not immediately relevant to
either this experiment (2 years is not enough time to develop a
culture; the U.S. has had over 200 and is still trying :-)) or to near
term space applications (again thinking of maybe 5-10 years which
doesn't give people much time for culture invention.  The real
development of a unique culture to come out of humans in space will
probably have to wait until there are people who were born in space,
who've lived most of their lives off Earth.  Don't hold your breath.) 
 
    The psychological aspects are interestiing and there has been some
concern about them at NASA.  In particular, the psychological
acceptance of various diets which could practically be provided by a
CELSS was a minor topic of discussion at some of the CELSS workshops
I've been to.  And it seems to come up in a paper or so every year at
the Intersociety Conference on Environmental Systems (next one is in
June in San Francisco, I think. Check with AIAA if you're interested
in going). 
 
    Personally I think that the personalities of the people who are
involved would be a major factor in the success of such an experiment.
If it looks anything like our space missions, they may be so busy
much of the time that there is relatively little interaction. 
Nonetheless, considering how badly I get cabin fever during blizzards
when I'm skiing, I doubt I could stand spending two years in
relatively confined quarters with 7 other people always around.  Too
little privacy seems more likely to me than being too isolated. 
 
    Miriam [seeking my own bedroom on any spaceflight I'm on] Nadel
 
    "Any road followed to its end leads precisely nowhere" - Princess Irulan
 
[email protected]       {philabs, trwrb}!cadovax!gryphon!mhnadel
      {hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, ihnp4, nosc}!crash!gryphon!mhnadel

> 
>    Unfortunately the types of plants we've been able to grow at
>zero-G don't do much but make nice scenery.  The experiments done on
>the shuttle did OK with oak trees and pools of algae but were
>dramatically unsuccessful with grain.  


  I believe the colony is suppose to simulate life on Mars.  That is not
quite a zero-G enviroment.


  Jim

    Nobody has said it has to be zero-G.
    
    Its relatively easy to have some G, and there is lots of advantages
    on it.
    
    Its healthier for humans as well as for plants to have some G,
    it doesn't have to be much. Even 1/10 G would make a lot of difference.

Paula Cleggett-Haleim
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                      June 14, 1990
(Phone:  202/453-1547)

Jane Hutchison
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
(Phone:  415/604-4968)


RELEASE:  90-82

MAKING FRESH VEGETABLES ON LONG-DURATION SPACE TRAVEL


     The first working model of a "salad machine" that eventually 
will provide a variety of fresh vegetables for astronauts on long 
voyages is now growing its first crop at NASA's Ames Research 
Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

     Dr. Mark Kliss, project manager and principal investigator, 
said one of the first things astronauts and submariners ask for, 
following days or weeks of eating freeze-dried or preserved 
foods, is fresh produce.  "Our goal is to produce such a variety 
of fresh salad vegetables for consumption by the crews of Space 
Station Freedom and other long-duration missions," Kliss said.

     The presence of plants and the ability to "cultivate" a 
garden also can improve the crew members' morale by providing 
something for them to nurture and by offering a creative outlet 
during their free time, much like tending a garden on Earth, he 
said.

     Garden-variety plants such as leaf lettuce, carrots, 
radishes, onions, sprouts, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are 
being considered for inclusion in the salad machine.  Most 
candidate vegetables have very similar temperature, humidity, 
lighting and nutrient requirements, thus simplifying the 
environmental control system.  Because of limited space, some 
plants will be smaller than the varieties commonly found on 
Earth.

     Tomato plants, for example, will be less than 12 inches 
high.  And because there is no gravity, some of the vegetables 
will grow "upside down" or "sideways," although in the 
weightlessness of space there is no true "up" or "down."

     Kliss' goal is for the salad machine to produce three salads 
per person per week for a crew of four.  It also will recycle the 
water transpired by plants back into the nutrient delivery 
system.  Eventually, Kliss hopes the salad machine can use 
recycled water to grow plants and produce potable water for crew 
consumption. 

     It also will furnish oxygen-enriched air to the cabin 
environment after particulates and excess water vapor are 
removed.  Food production, carbon dioxide scrubbing, oxygen 
generation and water purification are key functions of the 
"bioregenerative" life support systems being developed by the 
Advanced Life Support Division at Ames.

     Project engineers also face formidable engineering 
constraints.  The amount of space available is limited to a 
single standard space station rack of 36 inches by 41.5 inches by 
80 inches, or about 28.2 cubic feet of growing volume.  The 
machine must operate on less than a kilowatt of power, produce a 
minimal amount of waste heat and provide light for the plants.

     A nutrient delivery system must be designed which can 
provide water and necessary nutrients to the growing plants, 
while keeping fluids in place in microgravity, or weightlessness 
of space.  Kliss said that proper humidity will be maintained by 
recycling condensed water vapor, which also will decrease the 
amount of resupply water needed.

     The process of growing plants in the salad machine should be 
relatively simple.  Seeds, contained in a cassette for ease of 
handling in microgravity, will be germinated for a few days.  
Once the seeds sprout, they will be placed in the plant growth 
chamber containing the nutrient delivery system.  Kliss expects 
the activity of "planting" seed cassettes and harvesting mature 
plants to require 15-20 minutes of an astronaut's time every few 
days.  By applying commercial hydroponic (soil-less) growing 
techniques, plant growth time from seed to harvest is much 
quicker than for field-grown counterparts.

     Kliss hopes to have the salad machine fully operational by 
Space Station Freedom's scheduled completion later this decade.


From: [email protected] (Peter E. Yee)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Date: 14 Jun 90 20:32:23 GMT
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

    09/13 1203 FOUR MEN, FOUR WOMEN TO SPEND TWO YEARS ISOLATED ...
 
    ORACLE, AZ (SEPT.  13) UPI - Four men and four women ranging in
age from 30 to 66 years have been selected to spend two years isolated
in a prototype of a space colony. 

   The environmental experiment, sponsored by the private firm Space
Biospheres Ventures, will require the eight to live inside Biosphere 2, a
3-acre geodesic frame of glass and steel that is hermetically sealed from
all but the light and energy of the environment of Earth.  The names of
the eight inhabitants were announced Wednesday.  The experiment is to
begin Dec. 5.

   Margaret Augustine, president of Space Biospheres Venture, said the
eight represent the "international scope" of the project which has been
in the planning stages for five years.

   "All of the crew members have held key staff and management positions
on the project since its beginning," Augustine said.  ""Each "

   The eight will have to get their food and water from inside the self-
contained structure.  Electricity and information will be provided and
only information will be allowed to flow out.

   Named to participate in the experiment were Linda Leigh, 38, a
botanist and University of Arizona graduate; Bernd Zabel, 41, an
electrical engineer from Munich, West Germany and captain of the
Biosphere 2 crew; Sally Silverstone, 35, a native of Walthamstow,
England, and director of information systems within Biosphere 2; Jane
Paynter, 28, a native of Surrey, England, who will manage the
agricultural sector; Dr.  Roy Walford, 66, a research gerontologist,
nutritionist and professor of pathology at the UCLA School of Medicine;
Abigail K. Alling, 31, a marine biologist from Maine who will direct the
project's marine ecological systems; Taber Kyle MacCallum, 26, of
Albuquerque, N.M., who is in charge of the analytical laboratory, and
Mark Van Thillo, 29, of Wilrijk-Antwerp, Belgium, who has been in charge
of construction quality control.

   Sponsors say the structure not only is a prototype for an eventual
habitat on Mars, but could be used for research for environmental
problems on Earth.

   The $30 million project is financed by Edward Bass, a Texas oil man.
It has seven climatic regions, including a rain forest, a savannah, an
ocean, fresh and saltwater marshes, a desert, an agricultural area and an
apartment complex and laboratories.

   The dome is in a rugged canyon on the 2,500-acre SunSpace Ranch near
Oracle in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson.
 

The September 1990 issue of "Discover" magazine contains an article about
Biosphere II.

...Roger...

Perhaps I'm being overly cynical today, but $30 million seems pretty small
potatoes compared to the billions spend on SDI and even NASA projects.  Since
Biosphere II was privately funded, I wonder how much a similar government 
project would have costed.

Wook

RE: .7  Wook, I know your question was rhetorical (wasn't it? :-)) but I'll
venture a guess anyway.  How's about we drop the "m" in "million" and replace
it with a "b"?  And you know why?  Because there were probably 0.0001% the
number of hands in the pot, that's why!  :-(

...Roger...

Re: .7 and .8

The question was largely rhetorical, but I agree that billions rather than mere
millions sounds about right.  The next question is a bit more serious.

Why are there so many "hands in the pot" in the first place?  Is it simply the
price of bureaucracy?  Is it documentation?  Is it reliability? (ya, right :-(
Is it regulations?  What is it that makes government work so expensive?  Can 
there be a new model that we need to adopt in order to run things efficiently?

Wook

	Re: .9
	
	If you find good working answers for all those questions that steps on
few enough toes to be politically implementable, let me know and I'll gladly
vote for you for President.

								-craig

    I don't agree that the governament projects are a million times,
    more expensive then private ones.  But they do tend to be more
    expensive. Not a million times, just 2 or 3 times more expensive.
    
    The reasons are simple:
    
    1-  Red tape:  Governament projects have to be documented seven
    	ways from hell. And certified by a bunch of agencies. And 
    	monitored, .. and so on.
    
        All this costs a lot of extra work and time delays. And as 
    	they say time is money.
    
    2-  Risk Avoidance:   Governament spends lots of money, in order
    	to lower risks. As they are in the public eye, and using public
    	money it simply isn't aceptable taking a risk when it can be
    	avoided by spending some extra money. 
    
    	On the other hand private projects aren't limited like that,
    	many times they chose to take the risk rather then spend the
    	money that they don't have, or that they worked hard to get.
    
    Anyway the governament way is not necessarily bad. For every
    private project that is a success, there is at least another one
    that failed. So the overall price counting the failures is doubled
    at least. And the governament would quicly be in trouble if half
    their projects failed, and cost somebodies life.
    
    Gil
    projects

>And the governament would quicly be in trouble if half their projects failed,
>and cost somebodies life.

  As opposed to the current situation in the federal government where nothing
seems to work, and people do lose life and property.  The federal government
places massive overhead on the work that it does.  Consider that the government
*is* overhead and that the contractors do the actual work - generally not
worrying all that much about cost overruns because now they are practically
expected to occur.

John

I was flipping channels this weekend and came across a segment on some
magazine format TV show called Future Watch, the segment was about 
Biosphere II.  Apparently it was about 1 year old, since they mentioned
people will be going in Oct 90, but it still looked pretty neat.
Would be worth a visit if these were allowed.

dmk

According to this morning's news, the 4-woman, 4-man crew entered Biosphere II
today, and will spend the next 24 months "doing their thing" within it's sealed
environment.

Let us hope the fruits of their efforts make Biosphere I a better places to live
and that future colonies on other worlds will benefit from their findings!

...Roger...

Article         2036
From: [email protected] (JULIE PRINCE)
Newsgroups: clari.tw.science
Subject: 'Biospherians' enter new world
Date: 26 Sep 91 20:13:27 GMT
 
	ORACLE, Ariz. (UPI) -- Eight researchers took a ``brave new
step'' Thursday by sealing themselves inside a huge greenhouse in a
two-year experiment aimed at studying Earth's ecology and replicating
what life on another planet might hold. 

	Abigail Alling, a 31-year-old expert in marine life, led the
team's way into the 3.15-acre high-tech complex, stepping inside
``Biosphere II'' after a ceremony featuring a dance by costumed
American Indians in the Sonoran Desert. 

	``I have a sense of joy going into Biosphere II today,'' said
another member of the group, Mark Nelson, 44, of New York. ``If we
live well, it's because all things inside were living well together.''

	Alling, who coordinated the design, species selection and
collections for the complex's oceans and marshes, said: ``It's
bringing together the past, present and future -- the Bisophere II is
a brave new step.'' 

	With that, the four and four women, all wearing navy-blue
jumpsuits, shared hugs and best wishes with the project's organizers
and ``boarded'' their new world about 8:20 a.m. as some 300
spectators, including former Phoenix Mayor Terry Goddard, cheered on.
A film crew documenting the project was also on hand. 

	It took three or four tries to seal the door behind the
``biospherians.'' 

	The team will live for two years in the facility, which looks
like a monstrous greenhouse.  It is furnished with all manner of flora
and fauna and the researchers will grow their own food and play music.
They may even have sex. 

	They will breathe recycled air, drink recycled water and grow
their own food. 

	By studying how plants, animals, insects, air, soil, humans
and a huge air conditioning system interact in the greenhouse, they
hope to learn better means of managing Earth's ecosystem -- which they
call Biosphere I. 

	The idea is to create a totally enclosed and self-sufficient
ecological system that could serve as a model for projects in
environments considerably less hospitable than the scorching Arizona
desert -- such as the planet Mars. 

	Located 35 miles north of Tucson on U.S. Highway 89, Biosphere
II may be the tourist attraction of an ecology-conscious age. 

	The structure covers about three football fields and stands 85
feet tall at its highest point. It has more than 7 million cubic feet
of interior space. 

	Five wilderness ecosystems co-exist inside the greenhouse.
Duplicated under glass are a rain forest, an ocean complete with a
wave-making machine, a marsh, a savanna and a desert populated by more
than 4,000 species of animals, plants and insects. 

	The glass-encased greenhouse would overheat were it not for
the massive cooling system. The refrigeration system works with
outside cooling towers to cool the air and water to about 85 degrees
in summer and 65 degrees in winter. 

	Plants on a half-acre farm will provide food for the
researchers. Lush plantings elsewhere in the biosphere will pull
pollutants from the air, return oxygen, and purify the water. 

	The team will raise chickens, miniature pigs and goats, and
fish to provide eggs milk and meat. The fish will live in rice tanks,
feeding on a crop of earthworms raised elsewhere in the biosphere. 

	Plumbing runs for miles within the complex and is powered by a
5.2-megawatt generator -- big enough to power a small city. 

	But in its half-dozen years of planning and building, the
project has been heavily criticized as a pseudoscientific theme park
run by a group of entrepreneurs and hobbyists who linger on the
fringes of science. 

	The project by Space Biospheres Ventures is more than $100
million over budget. And, although each of the biospherians has
extensive experience in scientific, agricultural or mechanical fields,
they are not an overly academic group. 

	In any case, Space Biospheres officials have not overlooked
the profit potential of the venture, having filed dozens of patent
applications for various air, water and soil purification systems that
have been developed over the project's life. 

	Even before Thursday, Biosphere II had hosted some 600,000
tourists at $9.50 each who may also stay at the company's nearby motel
and eat at the company's restaurant. The company is also seeking Pinal
County's approval of plans for trailer parks and even a golf course. 

	In general, critics say the experiment is too complex to yield
usable scientific data. So far, the only successful closed-system
experiments have been glass jars containing a single life form. 

	Others say respected scientists have been seduced by the promise 
of grant money to lend their expertise and reputations to the project. 

	Another criticism is that the ratio of plants to animals is
too high. Animals consume oxygen and release carbon dioxide, which the
plants then recycle into more oxygen.  A shortage of animals could
result in too little carbon dioxide and the plants could starve and die. 

	The researchers, who are all single and average just over 40
years of age, will live in quarters described as a miniature city with
an infirmary, offices, laboratories, a library, gym and common kitchen
in addition to two-room apartments for each of the occupants. 

	They will spend about four hours a day farming and another
four hours on scientific experiments. And, while there will also
almost certainly be sexual activity, reproduction is discouraged. 

Article         2033
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: clari.tw.science
Subject: Pgh. steel firm helped build giant Arizona greenhouse
Date: 26 Sep 91 16:38:21 GMT
 
	PITTSBURGH (UPI) -- Allegheny Ludlum Corp. played a critical
role in building a giant greenhouse in Arizona where eight ecological
explorers Thursday began a two-year experiment in self-sufficient living. 

	The ``Garden of Eden'' recreated in an arid desert setting in
Oracle, Ariz., about 30 miles outside Tuscon, is a fully-enclosed
``new world'' known as Biosphere II. 

	Its foundation is protected by an advanced Allegheny Ludlum
alloy, AL-6XN stainless steel, the company said. 

	Eight researchers waved farewell to the outside world Thursday
and entered the closed environment, a 3.15-acre high-tech complex
where they hope to sustain themselves for the next two years. 

	Four men and four women will be sealed inside the gigantic
flora- and fauna-filled greenhouse, where they will recycle their air,
water and wastes and grow their own food. 

	By studying how plants, animals, insects, air, soil, humans
and a huge air conditioning system interact in the greenhouse, they
hope to learn better means of managing Earth's ecosystem, which they
call Biosphere I. 

	Allegheny Ludlum said designs for the greenhouse called for a
stainless steel liner to prevent leakage either in or out of the
enclosure.  The liner must withstand corrosion from both seawater and
soil environments. 

	The special alloy was chosen for the project because of its high 
strength and corrosion resistence, the company said. Allegheny Ludlum 
supplied 800,000 pounds of the material for the superstructure's base. 

	Another Pittsburgh firm, Pittsburgh-Des Moines Inc., installed
the stainless steel liner. 

	The AL-6XN alloy was originally developed by Allegheny Ludlum
for power plant condensers in marine environments. 

	Its corrosion resistence, weldability, formability and
strength have led to its use in a wide variety of new products and
industrial systems -- including food processing equipment, high
efficiency home furnaces, pulp and paper bleaching plants, offshore
oil platforms and air pollution control. 

  This thing has been getting a fair amount of negative press, but it's not the
usual type that the space program receives. The gist of the reports is that
this is a lot more hype than science. 

  Reporters have claimed that it is not all that clear that any of the
experiments that they are running can be done all that much better isolating
these people than they could in a lab. NASA, whom it would seem would benefit
from the space colony like environment, has shown little interest in the
project. 

  Other reports say that this is really the center piece for a theme park and
that arrangements have been made to have the public pay admission to view the
project. The implication is that as much thought has gone into public viewing
as has gone into possible scientific benefits. 

  I've noticed that they seem to be a bit pretentious. For example, what is the
point of the blue jump suits? Couldn't they have just as easily have gone into
the colony in street cloths? Looks like they are trying to create an astronaut
like appearance. Also a group photo in Time looked more like a rock group photo
with the 8 boinauts arranged in yet another set of jump suits on some
scaffolding. 

  Another point is that the qualifications of the 8 bionauts don't see at all
outstanding. Just about every mission specialist for NASA has a Phd but only
one of the boinauts were listed as Dr. Also, I haven't seen the same kind of
university participation that seems to accompany more serious projects. 
 
  Of course, all of this could be negatively biased reporting so if there is
another side of the issue, I'd be happy to hear it. What do you think? Is this
a future space colony or Disneyland Central?

  George

    'Zippy' described them as a bunch of anal-retentive techno-nerds in
    jumpsuits a couple of weeks ago.
    
    Will there be any real science from this? Possibly not, but there
    probably is some value from demonstrating that people really can live
    in a small self-contained ecosystem for a couple of years.
    
    At best, its a little like the early 'try it and see' days of the space
    program. At worst, its a theme park.
    
    gary

Well, if nothing else, if it helps to demonstrate to the popular
mind that we are the crew of the spaceship Earth, and that its
all interdependent, it wil have served its purpose.  Perhaps PHD
doctorates performing exotic experiments, floating around in a
vehicle that we only see on landing are too far removed from the
humdrum for most folks to identify with.  Maybe we need a
psudeo-experiment to dramatize ecology for us.

Just think, any Joe can hop in his car (the closest thing he has
to a spaceship, don't underestimate its seriousness) and drive
with his family to actually see in person a real-live experiment
in ecology.  While there, if the promoters are smart, he'll be
filled with exhibits showing the difference between Bisophere I
and II; indeed he see himself and his family as part of the
experiment living as he does in Biosphere I. In this sense, the
more theme park the better.  Doggone, that's heap powerful
medicine.

If this doesn't work, lets hope something will!

Pretty sobering news a couple of notes back about what the UARS
crew saw when they looked down.

  While the caliber of the bionauts may not be all that high, I applaud their
efforts.  

	- Already, there have been several patent applications from 
	  their air and water filtration and circulation requirements

	- They will certainly see some effects, whether they want to
	  or not, reflecting the ecologies crammed together.

	- Similarly, there could be some very interesting psychological
	  data coming out of this.

  Consider a couple of the possibilities:

	- The ecology goes wild, with disastrous results.  We learn something
	  from the mistakes.

	- The ecology works fairly well, but some unforseen result causes a
	  major problem.  For example, there are trace gasses produced by
	  plants (ethylene was one I read about) that could disrupt the
	  atmosphere.  Again we learn something.

	- The ecology works great and the bionauts survive the two year mission
	  intact.  Again we learn something.

   Let's give 'em some time, see what happens, and hope for the best.

    While the science may be shakey, and their objectives suspect (i.e.
    $$$ perhaps), one thing this effort does is help to return us to the
    days when private individuals could make significant contributions
    towards a worthy goal. Lindbergh was a private individual who won
    backing from a bank, and crossed the Atlantic. It seems to me that
    these days, it's pretty hard to make a serious contribution to space
    exploration without joining NASA and moving to Houston (and
    exaggeration, but you get my drift). I think efforts done OUTSIDE of
    the normal channel would be beneficial, and ought to be encouraged.
    
     I would like to see someone build a "Mars Mission" habitat to be lived
    in continuously for 2 or 3 years. It doesn't have to be totally self
    supporting (it can use the sun), and it doesn't have to have the
    ability to recylce and exist forever. It need only survive for 3 years.
    In other words, there can be losage, just so that they don't "run out"
    for 3 years.
    
    Gregg

I suspect that the main complaint by "mainstream science" is that the experiment
should be been designed more (carefully, smaller, fewer variables etc etc) so
that when one of the things in .19 happens, it will be easier to find out
exactly what the problem was.

However, I agree with .20:  It's great to be able to do this kind of thing
privately!

Burns

  Ok, well in that case, I have a coffee cup with mold growing on it on the
top shelf of my office. The cost was about 55 cents. I'll watch it for a few
years and see what happens. If anything exciting jumps out, I'll report it
to NASA.

  Now let's see, I need a spiffy jump suit that I can put on so that someone
can film the 1st day of biosphere III.

  George

    It seems to me that the only way in which Biosphere II can "fail" is by
    not publicising whatever results come out of it.
    
    Whatever the result of the experiment, something WILL be learned about
    ecology. That "something" could just be that ecologies are complex and
    fragile (which, for all our platitudes on the subject, we do not know
    for certain at the moment), or it could be specific information on how
    ecologies fail (ie. the signs to look for), or it could be a mass of
    data about the relationships between different elements of an ecology.
    Right now, any of this information would be a good thing, if only
    because it would confirm what is presently only hypothesis.
    
    Only if the general public does not hear of the results will it be a
    failure, because in that case, we will be left with a world full of
    people who remain ignorant that there is such a thing as an ecology
    which might need to be treated with respect.
    
    
    Dave Hazel

  Biosphere II could also fail another way. Say for example that they don't
discover anything all that spectacular or that things are done in such a sloppy
way that results are not all that clear. Then say that because this is a
commercial venture that depends on looking like "science" in order to get people
to show up at the theme park they decide that their reputation would be
maintained if they were to "manufacture" some scientific results. 

  For example, if their research is botched and sloppy, they could read various
journals and try to predict what people would most likely expect to hear. Then
they could manufacture some experiments, backdate a few logs, and presto!
Science flowing out of the Biosphere just by turning the tap. The rave reviews
come in and people flock to the theme park to see what it is all about. 

  Regardless if they were found out or not, it would not be a success. Oh
it might be a financial success, but not a scientific success.

  Now some may say that I'm jumping a bit to conclusions and that they should
be given the benefit of the doubt, but I don't think that my comments are
all that rash. They have already come up short involving serious researchers
and universities in their study. They have also shown a flare for dramatics
with the jump suits and the hints of possible romantic involvement between
the members which, by the wildest of coincidences, happens to be exactly
4 men and 4 women.

  No, there are plenty of ways they could fail,
  George

It appears to me that you are not talking about failure, but out and out
fraud motivated by greed.

				b

Article: 2072
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: clari.tw.science
Subject: Clipped fingertip may force biospherian out
Date: 10 Oct 91 19:56:11 GMT
 
	ORACLE, Ariz. (UPI) -- An accident that left a member of
Biosphere II with a severed fingertip will probably force her to leave
the high-tech complex for part of a day for surgery, a spokesman said
Thursday. 

	Jane Poynter, 29, suffered the cut to the top of the middle
finger of her left hand while cleaning a rice hulling machine Wednesday. 

	``We should know in a day or two if she'll have to come out of
the Biosphere for surgery,'' project spokesman Bruno Fazzolari said. 

	Dr. Roy Walford, another biospherian, re-attached the severed
fingertip within about 15 minutes with over-the-telephone advice from
a physician at the University of Arizona, but there was concern that
bone in the severed portion may not re-attach itself to the bone in
the finger, Fazzolari said. 

	``There is good likelihood that it won't re-attach,''
Fazzolari said. ``So she would then probably leave in the morning for
specialized surgery, then return in the afternoon.'' 

	The team of four men and four women entered Biosphere II on
Sept. 26 and locked themselves in as part of a two-year experiment in
a self-sufficient ecological system that could provide information
about how humans can survive on other planets. 

	Fazzolari said that if Poynter leaves, it will not seriously
compromise the scientific validity of the experiment. 

	``She would come in and out of an air lock, so there would be
only a minimal intermingling of gases,'' he said. ``It would certainly
not be the end of the experiment.'' 

	The accident occurred at about 9 a.m. Wednesday while Poynter,
an English scientist in charge of project's farms, was demonstrating
to Walford the operation of the rice hulling machine, Fazzolari said. 

	The accident has not depressed her, he added.

	``Jane is feeling very chipper and does not want to rest,'' he said.

  Is there a surgeon in the Biosphere? Seems she should have gone straight
to the hospital. How could it possibly have made a difference at this point?

  More evidence that this is hype and now it appears that the bottom line
comes before personal safety.

  George

    I thought the purpose of the project was to survive with NO outside
    interference. 
    
    To me then, it is also more evidence of hype because if she leaves, the
    "experament" would be a failure.
    
    john
    

    Just because one of the members of the experiment leaves for a few
    hours does not invalidate their experiment.
    
    Their goal is not to prove that they can live without outside medical
    aid, millions of people have done that before. Their goal is to show
    that humans can create and mantain a self contained biosphere, including
    people.
    
    They will have failed only if they are forced to inport any biological
    material to keep the biosphere going. Or let a significant amount of 
    biological material to escape.
    
    Gil

...besides, at worst, it invalides a week or so of stay-time.

Burns

        Jay Leno on the Tonight show commented last week on this project.
        He reported that shortly after the "crew" entered, they began
        becoming faint, suffering shortness of breath and becoming very
        pale.
        
        
        
        It seem that they forgot to punch holes in the lid of the
        container :-)

    ORACLE, Arizona: Biosphere 2 opened its airlock doors last week to take
    in protein powder and other supplies, but crew members said the opening
    - the third in 11 months - does not detract from the sealed
    environmental experiment.
    
    The four men and four women locked inside the experimental enclosure
    for a planned two-year stay have lost an average 16 per cent of their
    body weight since the glass dome was first closed on September 26.
    
    One of the eight, Dr Roy Walford, said by phone that the protein
    powder would be used in tests on crew members to determine if
    supplements were needed in their low calorie, home-grown diets.
    
    Also passed through the airlock were such supplies as bottles, labels
    and cold-sore medication.
    
    Items removed included water, soil, blood, urine and film.
    
    The 1.2ha science venture and tourist attraction north of Tucson has a
    farm and sections that replicate ocean, savannah, rainforest and other
    ecosystems.
    
    Texas investor Mr Ed Bass is financing the venture which is being run
    for profit. Biosphere 2 is intended to show that people can grow their
    food and recycle air, water and wastes in a sealed environment.
    
    Some scientists criticised the project after one crew member left for
    emergency surgery when she sliced off a fingertip in a threshing
    accident in October.
    
    She returned with a bag filled with plastic bags, maps, books, hydro-
    chloric acid, computer parts and other supplies.
    
    Biosphere 2 was unsealed again last month to remove water and plant
    samples after an independent scientific review committee complained
    that officials' desire to keep the dome sealed unnecessarily restricted
    research materials.
    
    Dr Walford said that if the airlock were opened infrequently - to pass
    scientific material back and forth - it would not detract from the
    project's goals.
    
    					AP

    Three people sealed from the world inside the 1.2ha Biosphere 2
    glasshouse in Arizona almost 12 months ago have cast their votes for
    today's election primaries without leaving their miniature planet.
    
    The Biosphere 2 residents had rigged a makeshift polling place inside,
    curtained for privacy but with visual access for election officials.
    They had registered as voters before they were sealed in the
    experimental enclosure for a planned two-year stay.
    
    [DG: paragraph of background info deleted]

Biospherians in search of credit - (AP)

ORACLE, Arizona: Half-way through their two-year mission-under-glass, eight men
and women sealed in Biosphere 2 and those monitoring them are trying to prove
the experiment is more than a stunt.

Their mission is to operate a space colony prototype, growing their own food
and tending wildlife in a 1.2ha glass-and-steel complex designed to recycle
air, water and waste.

Critics have said the project is unscientific because, among other things,
outside air has been pumped in and a crew member who was released for medical
treatment returned with supplies.

Organisers hope, however, that a review by an outside panel of scientists -
and some changes recommended by the experts - will give the project
credibility.

Biosphere 2, on a ranch 60km north of Tuscon, Arizona, is a private-profit
venture financed by Texas billionaire Mr Ed Bass, who invested at least $US150
million.

The experiment began with much fanfare as the four men and four women began
life beyond the airlock.

After a series of setbacks and public relations gaffes, however, Mr Bass
appointed an eight-member committee, which includes scientists from NASA and
the Smithsonian Institution, to examine the project's scientific credibility.

The panel's initial report, released on July 21, said Biosphere 2 had put
commercial concerns, such as technology development and tourism, and public
education before science.

It recommended: a director of basic science be appointed, setting up a well-
crafted science plan, pursuing scientific publication, taking steps to ensure
accuracy, and establishing a staff of scientists.

Mr Bass said the recommendations would be carried out.

In spite of its criticism, the panel was encouraging.

"The Biosphere project is one that has a lot of potential," Mr Stephen O'Brien
of the National Cancer Institute said.

"But whether it does get realised does depend on how willing the organisers are
to implement the recommendations, or at least the spirit."

Biosphere's organisers point to such accomplishments as achieving an air-leak
rate of less than 10 per cent a year and a dramatic drop in the cholesterol and
blood pressure of crew members.

Dr Roy Walford, a crew member, said: "There certainly is a firm commitment to
do good scientific work and I believe that will require the implementation of
the advice of the committee, which I think they're doing."

Biospherian Linda Leigh said that the crew had remained inside might be the
most telling achievement.

"So many people were repeating that we would be out right after Christmas...and
in fact we aren't out, and I don't think we will be out until we're supposed
to come out," she said

The experiment was criticised widely after organisers belatedly announced that
air leaks forced them to pump in 18000 m� of air - almost a 10th of the
structure's atmospheric volume - in December.

Ms Leigh said scientists understood the experiment's validity was not
compromised, but failing to announce in advance that air would be pumped in
"was a big mistake" in terms of public opinion.

In the past year, the oxygen level has dropped below that outside and is now
equivalent to the oxygen content at 3000m.

Bees have disappeared, as have hummingbirds. Overall, 15 per cent to 30 per
cent of the original 3800 species of plants and animals have been lost.

As for the crew, a low-fat, high-density diet developed by Dr Walford is
believed responsible for a 35 per cent drop in Biospherians' blood-
cholesterol levels. On average the members also lost 14 per cent of their
weight.

Even with the hardships, Dr Walford said he missed only one thing that could
not be produced by Biosphere's natural systems: "A glass of scotch in the
evening."

Article: 3927
From: [email protected] (DOUGLAS A. LEVY, UPI Science Writer)
Newsgroups: clari.biz.economy,clari.tw.environment,clari.tw.misc,clari.biz.top
Subject: 'Biospherians' report health benefits from limited diet
Date: Mon, 30 Nov 92 15:08:01 PST
 
	WASHINGTON (UPI) -- They are hungry, but healthy.

	The four men and four women ensconced in Biosphere 2, a
controversial, glass-enclosed, self-sustained environment in the
Arizona desert survived their first six months in the enclosure on
only about 1, 800 calories of food per day. 

	That was about 25 percent less than they thought they would be
eating, said Ray Walford, Biosphere 2's medical officer and one of the
eight human subjects who have lived in Biosphere 2 since September
1991.  Problems with insects, lack of sunlight, and limited crop
production have cropped up in the experiment's early months, he said. 

	In the first scientific report from the Biosphere 2 project,
published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and
released Monday, the researchers said their diet resulted in positive
health effects during their first six months despite the low caloric
content. 

	Walford said because the diet was low in fat (less than 10
percent fat) and rich in nutrients, the ``Biospherians'' had reduced
their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. 

	``Everybody is extremely healthy,'' said Walford, though he
admitted the diet fell short of the 2,500-calories-per-day that they
expected to be able to eat before the experiment began. 

	``This is not malnutrition,'' he said. ``The diet is very
good. It's just low in calories.'' 

	Biosphere 2 is supposed to be a self-sustaining closed
ecosystem in which the needs of plants, animals and humans inside it
are balanced.  The 3.15-acre glass and steel structure contains rain
forest, marsh, desert, ocean and other environments.  Air, water and
organic material inside Biosphere 2 is recycled, while sunlight,
electricity, and heat can enter from outside.  Some scientists have
questioned the value and scientific rigor of the project. 

	A typical meal consists of beans, rice, steamed or stir-fried
vegetables such as chard or tomatoes, bread and dessert such as rice
pudding.  Small amounts of goat milk, yogurt, goat meat, chicken, fish,
pork, and eggs were also available. 

	Among the positive changes observed, Walford said the average
cholesterol level in the group was above 200 milligrams per deciliter
of blood at the start and now is closer to 130. 

	``That's a substantial health gain in terms of not getting
heart disease,'' said Walford. The 200 level is the point where
doctors advise patients to be concerned about heart disease risk. 

	However, the weight loss -- an average of 16 percent for the
men and 11 percent for women -- made people tired, he said. 

	``Some people are a little hungry and complain a little bit,
but they realize they are a lot healthier than they were,'' said
Walford.  But he said he thought some of the Biospherians lost ``about
5 pounds more than they should have.'' 

	But he said their vitality was being restored as more food is
added into the diet.  The Biospherians are producing more food now that
they have gained experience in dealing with insects, sunlight variations 
and other factors which limit crop production, Walford said. 

	Blood pressure was reduced by about 18 percent, and total
cholesterol levels went down by about 35 percent, Walford reported. 

	These effects were similar to those reported in studies of
animals on restricted calorie, nutrient-dense diets, Walford said,
suggesting that such a diet theoretically could increase the human
life span. 

	Because the Biospherian diet produced positive changes in
blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and other measures, Walford said
his findings provide evidence that ``radical and possibly beneficial
changes in physiologic risk factors can be produced in normal affluent
individuals in Western countries quickly and reproducibly by dietary
manipulation.'' 

                 <<< Note 367.35 by VERGA::KLAES "I, Robot" >>>
                            -< Hungry but healthy >-

<	Because the Biospherian diet produced positive changes in
<blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and other measures, Walford said
<his findings provide evidence that ``radical and possibly beneficial
<changes in physiologic risk factors can be produced in normal affluent
<individuals in Western countries quickly and reproducibly by dietary
<manipulation.'' 

So if everyone else in America ate like that, they'd be healthy too.
Boy, they are sure trying hard for respectability; writing so nobody
else can understand them!

Article: 53649
From: [email protected] (Taber MacCallum)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Biosphere 2 update
Date: 20 Dec 92 19:06:31 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: [via International Space University]
 
Biosphere 2 Update:
 
Several people have asked me to post a general description of
Biosphere 2 as well as updates during the remainder of our first test
run. I'm Taber MacCallum, a crew member inside Biosphere 2 for the
first full test. So here I go. 
 
Biosphere 2 is a privately financed closed ecological system that is
now supporting eight humans and nearly 4000 documented species of
plants and animals in seven biomes. There is a rain forest, savannah,
desert, marsh, ocean, farm and a human habitat with a kitchen,
apartments, laboratory, workshop, command room, animal bay, storage,
fully equipped medical facility, recreation and living rooms.
Biosphere 2 has a foot print of 14 thousand square meters with an
atmospheric volume of 161 thousand cubic meters. Almost all of the
energy used for growing plants, waste recycling and atmosphere
maintenance is derived directly from sunlight through the glass. In
this closed environment all the air, water and  waste is recycled and
purified by plants and microorganisms. In summary the system is
essentially materially closed with a leak rate of less than 9% per
year and energetically open, meaning that information, electricity,
light and heat go in and out as needed. 
 
I am responsible for the analytical chemistry inside Biosphere 2, and
primarily concerned with the biogeochemistry. For instance, research
into the mechanisms responsible for the decreasing atmospheric oxygen
may bear significantly on the mechanisms involved in the decreasing
global oxygen and show us what to avoid in future large closed system
designs. (See the R.F. Keeling paper in the August issue of Nature for
global decrease data.) I also work with Dr. Walford on the medical
research involving the crew. Our caloric intake now is about 2100
calories per day/per person and the oxygen is now at 14.8%, so the
partial pressure is the equivalent of about 13,000 feet. While low
food and oxygen would not be a good situation if we were in an
isolated space colony, it's why we're doing it first on the ground. We
are now 14.7 months into our two-year exploratory mission and even
though we could just walk out the door, we treat air, food and water
as matters of life and death. Someday, hopefully, they will be. The
restricted calorie intake has serendipitously provided a research
opportunity. Our cholesterol level, blood pressure, fasting blood
sugar and other basic measures of health have all improved
dramatically. This is one of the first highly controlled long term
dietary studies that has ever been conducted on humans. The results
thus far were published in the December 1, 1992 issue of the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 
 
Now at over 14 months, we have surpassed the 6 month record for living
in a closed life support system, previously set by Russian researchers
working in Siberia. We live and work in a computerized paper-free
environment, monitor and maintain the various technical systems,
collect data, communicate with a team of outside scientific
consultants and researchers, prepare reports, and somehow find time
for individual research projects and creative endeavors like writing,
painting, video documentation, music and computer network postings.
The project is located north east of Tucson in Arizona, near the town
of Oracle and is open to visitors. The space exploration and
settlement aspects of Biosphere 2 are my primary interests, especially
from the aspect of technological development and first hand experience
with the management of a total life support system, crew relations and
mission control support etc. on a two year mission. 
 
One of the things that has become very important is feasts in
Biosphere 2, having become an invaluable and inseparable part of life
inside Bio 2. So when Thanksgiving came along I slaughtered and
roasted a young pig whole on a spit after stuffing it with guavas,
bananas and papaya. Oh... The fruit made the pork wonderfully tender
and sweet. We also had Indonesian rice with peanuts, stir-fried
vegetables, baked beans, salad, chutney, crepes with ice cream, sweet
potato pie, and cheese cake, bread, soup and home brew. 
 
The complexity of the experience is hard to relate, from farming and
analytical chemistry to giving emergency medical treatment and
exploring the wilderness all in a day's events. It's like hearing
several sources of different music all at once, that are somehow not
discordant, albeit a little jarring at times. It is imperative that
space travelers be able to find a way to relate the experience, or
society is cheated out of a large part of the returns from the large
endeavor required to colonize space and other worlds. A year ago I was
not totally sure if Biosphere 2 would work, even to the degree that it
has. Before Biosphere 2, nobody knew if complex closed ecological
systems on this scale would even survive, let alone support humans. To
have objective, living proof that nature thrives on a scale and
condition so radically different from the one we evolved in, is a
major change in our understanding of the nature of nature. 
 
During the winter solstice period, basically between Thanksgiving and
mid January, the sunlight on a full sunny day at the latitude of
Tucson falls to less than 40% of the summer solstice sunlight and the
frequency of long storms that obscure the sun is much greater. This is
the time of maximum impact on the carbon dioxide level in Biosphere 2,
due to diminished photosynthesis by the plants, the CO2 can rise to
above 4,000 ppm during stormy weather as compared to its summer
minimum of under 1000 ppm. In preparation for these stormy episodes I
tested the carbon dioxide recycler and it is now being used due to the
storms we are experiencing. In the absence of storms we would not need
to use the system at all. 
 
The carbon dioxide is scheduled to be re-released in the atmosphere
during the sunny, clear days of Spring. The recycling action
differentiates it fundamentally from precipitation only units (CO2
scrubbers) used in systems such as submarines and the space shuttle,
that cannot recycle the gas. I designed the system to take CO2 out of
the air in the fall and winter and put it back in the high light
spring and summer. The release process regenerates the chemicals for
use again the following fall/winter season. Carbon dioxide is stored
as limestone (CaCO3) and the limestone is heated in the summer
releasing the CO2 and forming CaO. 
 
While in many ways Biosphere 2 is inexorably linked to the Earth
energetically, by gravity, with information and science, material
closure creates for many intents and purposes another entity. The
feeling inside, our attitude and actions are definitely those of
people who are part of another world. The mission rules and the
unspoken rules, our cravings, desires and the physical/mental
transformations thus far can only be explained by a drastic departure
from what I once knew to be the norm. Though I am still part of, and
for my very breath and sustenance depend on a biosphere that is
radically different from the one you are in right now. 
 
We as a species have found no way to live for any significant length
of time except as part of a biosphere. Significance for a species is
measured in generations not months or years. This is rather
inconvenient because of the relative weight and size of a biosphere as
we know them. Biospheres are impossible to launch and require
maintenance of systems that on the surface seem to bear no direct
benefit to the humans doing the maintenance, but they could
potentially be reliable once we get the bugs (not insects) worked out,
and it's the only system that we know definitely works. 
 
Of course nobody would launch a biosphere off the earth, but I think
it is a model of what we might ultimately build in space or on a
planet from local materials. Just bring the genetics. We must not
forget the aesthetics and stability of a long term settlement. This
may be beyond our active lifetimes but I think we must lay the proper
foundations from the very beginning. The life support systems we land
with, are the backup systems we live and grow old with. 
 
*****
 
I will endeavor to periodically post updates with more specific and
current information than was in this post, during the next nine months
of this closure, as we approach the end of the first full test of
Biosphere 2. 
 
Taber MacCallum
Analytical Systems Manager, Biosphere 2 Crew, 
1991-1993 mission
[email protected]

Date: Sun, 27 Dec 92 13:18:52 PST
From: Taber MacCallum <[email protected]>
Subject: Biosphere 2 update

Biosphere update:  December 27, 1992

First I need to put a disclaimer in here, my posts are entirely
comprised of my biased opinions and do not reflect in any way Space
Biospheres Venture (SBV) policies, officials or other crew members.
Also nobody else at SBV reads the posts, I write them in my personal
free time and they are written for no other reason. 

I have received many more questions than I can adequately address in
the time I have, but the response is great, thanks, sometimes it is a
little rough in here. 

The question of why run Biosphere 2 on ambient light is good and
approaches the fundamental question of what does Bio 2 have to do with
space colony designs. 

The decision to make Bio 2 open to direct sunlight or opaque with
light pipes or electric light  was a big one early in design and
centered on economics, science, safety, operation and esthetics. (SBV
is a totally private, tax paying company.)  Making an opaque structure
is cheaper and required no technology development to make air tight.
But the operating cost of electric lights plus the tremendous added
heat load was far to much. Remember that heat removal in a vacuum or
near vacuum is already a big problem and energy generation in the
amounts required to grow plants using grow lights is problematic. As
it is, heat removal is our biggest energy demand and the largest
single operating cost. The heating/cooling/dehumidification and
filtering system for the air handles a volume equivalent to the
biosphere every 1.5 minutes. A disadvantage of glass is that if the
cooling system failed during a summers day, the biosphere would over
heat in under 20 minutes. Light pipes depend on the sun as well and
cost too much. Science comes to the rescue, one of the biggest
questions was what are the stability characteristics of a closed
ecological system and how are they effected by changes in the systems
energy flux, so lets tackle this problem right off the bat. Biosphere
would be MUCH easier to operate if the light input was high and
constant, it was a trade off. As it is, we are operating on greatly
reduced light because the structure blocks out 60% of the photo-active
energy. The diurnal and seasonal oscillations in light provide one of
the most interesting opportunities to study the system. Also visitors
currently provide our main means of attempting to pay for operating
Bio 2 and if it was not possible to see in from all around, it would
stifle tourism. Now people can go right up to the glass and wave at
us. And yes, as needed, a team of window cleaners go around the
outside, dirty glass can reduce the light transmission by 10 to 20 %
very quickly. Inside we only need to do the bottom two or three
sections of glass in specific areas. 

It is probably worth giving some perspective to Biosphere 2 and why it
is designed the way it is. 

Bio 2 is in a way analogous to the Delta Clipper - X, it needs to fly
after it is built or we don't learn nearly as much and it is hard to
get the money back on a total flop. When we started the project in
'85, I always had to spell "Biosphere" to people on the phone and
people said "what's that?" now it is a very common word. No closed
ecological systems or even partially-closed ecological systems that
included humans had ever even been seriously paper studied in the
west, much less attempted. The BIOS projects in Siberia were mostly
roomers and no hard data was available. The projects culminating with
BIOS 3, were comparatively simple, only partially-closed and had some
serious nutrient cycling problems. Our approach was to take
functioning ecosystems as analogs and use them as the building blocks
of a total system. Thus the seven biomes, an atmosphere, a
lithosphere, a water system or hydrosphere, an information/data and
control system and an energy source are the very basic components of
Biosphere 2, analogous to the Earth. The name Biosphere 2 comes from
the idea that it is based on the Earth or Biosphere 1. The agriculture
is operated to maximize food production which dictates how it is
operated, allowing very little flexibility to make adjustments for
changing atmospheric or energy conditions. The wilderness biomes have
different seasonallity, life strategies, dominant metabolic pathways
etc. which give us allot of flexibility in managing Bio 2. The desert
and Savannah are especially flexible because dormancy can be
controlled by temperature, humidity and rainfall, allowing us to bring
them into production as needed. 

We are trying to learn by doing, we are going to come out at the end
of the first test flight with allot of questions and a few answers to
problems created by the things we did wrong. In a way it is a
proof-of-concept, that complex systems can be scaled down dramatically
and still work. This top down approach to stability is in contrast to
the idea that stability is found in simple systems constructed from
the bottom up, individual species by species which is closer to the
NASA approach. Both ways of looking at system designs are very valid,
even though unfortunately sometimes people fall into separate camps
and look askance at each other. There is allot of cross fertilization
and ultimately the best system will be dictated by the circumstances
and probably be a mix of the two ideas. 

One of Biosphere 2's strongest and weakest points, like the space
shuttle, is that it attempts to do many things and in the process does
nothing as well as it could if it had only one task. Space is by no
means the only reason for Biosphere 2 and in many peoples thoughts it
is a very minor application. With regard to space I hope to come out
with new perspectives on long term space travel and topics including
soil nutrient cycles, atmospheric chemistry, mission control inside
and outside, food production, human group dynamics, human medical
requirements, data acquisition and control, maintenance and operation
of associated technical systems and waste recycling. The many
functions Biosphere 2 tries and needs to fulfill are often in conflict
with each other, these functions include ecological research on a
global and biome scale, medical research, profit, education, genetics
of small populations, marine system research, restoration ecology,
food web studies, agriculture, analytical chemistry and spin-offs from
engineering, technology and computer system development especially in
modeling. 

The Biosphere 2 project came under allot of pressure to do ecological
research even before the first two year test had even began. Note that
much research was done just to design Biosphere 2. This happened
faster than I and many other people thought, we were still in design
and construction when the media began asking about our scientific
credibility. To facilitate the research our scientific review
committee (which we had from the very beginning) recommend among many
other things, in a report made after closure, that we hire a Director
of Science. The report is on the whole very good. Candidates for the
position are being interviewed now and hopefully a selection will be
made by end of January. 

For background reading, two recent articles have come out in the
popular literature that are good, The current issue of Whole Earth
Review is excellent and a recent Buzzworm article is supposedly "more
investigative" but they badly blunder many facts they could have
easily checked, plus a biased slant was put on the article due to PR
problems, as well as the article, Buzzworm carries a regular article
by Linda Leigh, another crew member. Also papers were given at the
last cospar meeting, the proceedings from which should be out soon. If
we wanted to hide what we were doing, we would not have built
Biosphere 2 out of glass and invited people to see. 

The computer data acquisition, control and communication systems are
problematic especially due to software limitations. One of the main
tools for modeling and control is the General Symbolic "G2" expert
system. We use a distributed broad-band network of 9000 series Hewlett
Packard computers and Sun systems running UX. Each of which control
specific areas of the biosphere using HP 48K I/O systems and
independent programmable controllers run by the computer system. These
systems communicate with dedicated monitoring, data base and
supervisory computers forming a multi level, distributed system.
Reliability of the system is great because when problems occur the
system falls back to the next lower level. A PC ether network is
bridged to the UX system and fulfills functions like mail, fax, word
processing, etc.. Communication and tele-conferencing is also
facilitated with video in and out, picture-tell, video phones, voice
mail, private phone lines and meetings at the glass with an intercom. 

I'll get to the questions on Medical, Hygiene, Insects, CO2 Recycler
and Analytical Chemistry in future posts. 

A few tidbits, we are now relying heavily on stored animal fodder from
the summer to maintain goat milk production because the low light has
reduced plant growth. Egg production has stopped because the chickens
are molting. Recent cloudy weather has forced us to put more CO2 into
storage for release in the spring. High CO2 brings the pH of the ocean
to dangerously low levels. Without the ocean we could go to much
higher CO2 levels. The current average CO2 level is 3700 ppm, oxygen
is now at 14.8%. Living at an equivalent pO2 of approximately 13,000
feet or 96 mmHg has a definite effect on crew performance, especially
in limiting physical exertion and disrupting  sleep patterns in some
crew members. The drug Diamox and/or concentrated oxygen at low flow
rates during sleep helps relieve the problems in some crew members. We
have not yet seen any marked signs of adaptation to the lowered pO2 in
the physical exams or blood tests.  The holidays have brought more
feasting and we have all put on 1 to 2 Kg of weight! 

Cheers and a Happy New Year from Biosphere 2!

Taber MacCallum

Article: 54330
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: [email protected]
Subject: Biosphere 2 Agriculture
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: [via International Space University]
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1993 23:22:17 GMT
 
My name is Jane Poynter, the Biospherian in charge of the Field
Agricutlure Systems inside Biosphere 2.  Taber MacCallum has given
progress reports on Biosphere 2 and given general outlines.  I thought
I would give a brief outline of the Agriculture Biome of Biosphere 2. 
What I write here are my own opinions and not to be taken as opinions
held by Space Biospheres Ventures. 
 
The Biosphere 2 Agriculture covers an area of approximately 0.5 acres,
which includes the field agriculture, orchard and domestic animal
barns. It was designed to produce enough food for the 8 biospherians
and domestic animals (goats and chickens), to be non polluting and
totally recycling. 
 
Our main staples are beans (mostly a tropical variety called hyacinth
bean, or lab lab), rice, wheat, sorghum, sweet potatoes, taro, bananas
(green as a starch and ripe as a fruit), papayas (also green as a
vegetable and ripe as a fruit), peanuts (which give us a large
percentage of our daily fat intake), and of course all sorts of
vegetables such as carrots, squash, eggplant, tomatoes, chilis, bell
peppers, beets and lots of greens. 
 
>From the animals we get mainly milk and eggs. Meat is quite a luxury,
eaten once a week and for feasts.  We currently have 4 African Pigmy
does, one buck and 2 kids, 10 hens, 2 cocks and 3 pullets.  There are
also tilapia fish in the rice paddies which live off the azolla (a
small water fern which grows on the surface of the water) and the
small crustacea and insect larvae in the water and mud.  At the outset
of the experiment we had included a breeding pair of Ossabaw Ferrel
Swine, which are a medium sized pig, somewhat larger than the
Vietnamese Potbellied Pig, but much smaller than a farm pig.  The boar
weighed 110 lbs. However, it became increasingly clear that this pig,
and probably any pig, is not suitable for this agriculture system at
its current level of production.  There was no starch available for
the pigs, as had been thought there would be when the decision was
made to include the pigs.  I am sure that this agriculture system will
go through many phases of evolution as we discover what works and what
does not, and how to improve on existing systems. 
 
We use no polluting pesticides to control pest outbreaks.  We use soap
and other such sprays where necessary, and use many of the commonly
used methods of integrated pest programmes.  We also do not use
chemical fertilisers, but recycle waste products.  Animal wastes and
crop residues not fed to the domestic animals are composted, human
waste, the wash down from animal barns and the waste water from the
human habitat is cycled through a marsh waste recycling system.  Our
nutrient recycling in the agriculture is therefore essentially a
closed loop.  There are some nutrients that may be tied up in forms
unretrievable by plants in the long run, and this is a possible
problem that we may have to face in the future. 
 
As in all new ventures there have been problems which we are currently
attempting to solve, and doubtless there will be many more challenges
along the way to reaching the afore mentioned goals. Some of our main
problems have been in pest management which has led to problems with
crop diversity.  Light levels are also of concern as the plants
receive approximately 45% ambient light. This is because of the
shading of the structure and glass.  The pest problems have arisen
because, despite efforts to introduce a wide variety of predators and
parasites on several occasions, before closure and once during
closure, the food web is by no means complex enough to handle the
fluxes in pest populations.  We have also seen the development of
damaging population levels of broad mites which we did not see before
closure at all. This tiny mite has devastated white potatoes, and is
now attacking our sweet potatoes, despite efforts to control it by
spraying vegetable oil (which we have found to be the most effective
non-toxic spray to date) and to lower levels of relative humidity as
far as possible as this seems to be the most effective method of
population control. 
 
Because of this and other pest and disease problems our species
diversity has been diminished in the agriculture which of course does
not help in itself.  We begin to rely on fewer and fewer crops for our
main staples, which is not a healthy situation to be in, especially
when one's lively hood relies upon the crops' success.  Species
diversity is an important factor to consider in any agriculure system
as it is necessary to have several crops that perform the same funtion
in the diet (such as white potato and sweet potato). Unpredictable
growing conditions may arise and one crop may do well where the other
may fail. Diversity is also important to maintain an interesting diet,
one aspect of keeping high morale among the crew of any long
expedition. Both the pest problems and the species diversity are
problems that we are currently trying to solve, but will also be a
large part of the work being done during the transition phase betwen
this 2 year experiment and the next one year experiment. 
 
Then there is the problem of light: the plants will indeed grow and
produce under the existing light levels, but it makes the plants
somewhat etiolated and much more susceptible to disease and prone to
pest infestations. 
 
People have often asked what the Biosphere 2 Agriculture system has to
do with space exploration, habitation.  There are several answers to
that question, but the general answer is in long term colinization of
planets, and eventually even the totally man made space colonies as in
Gerard O'Neill's vision of the High Frontier.  There are indeed many
methods of growing plants.  NASA is doing great work in the realms of
hydroponics for maximum efficiency and reliability in the production
of food and have succeeded in obtaining extraordinary yields, making
the production of food a viable option during spaceflight.  However,
this kind of system is as yet non-recylable.  The nutrient solution
itself can be recycled, but no way has been found to date to recycle
the nutrients that have been taken up by the plants themselves.  
Hydroponics will most probably be the way to go for space flights
needing to get materials up out of a deep gravity well, like that of
Planet Earth's, but in situations where there are materials at hand
with which to make the main bulk of the growing medium, like on Mars,
or possibly larger asteroids, then the soil based totally recycling,
non-toxic, intensive agriculture approach may well be more viable in
the long run. I will say, however, that I think domestic animals will
be a long time in arriving in space and are not an essential part of
our system, either for nutrient recycling, or for food production. 
They are currently essential for a good portion of the fat in our
diet, but this can be remedied by the inclusion of other oil crops. 
 
Another aspect of the food production systems used in space, is the
diversity that can be produced for the human diet. Living inside
Biosphere 2 for 15 months has shown that food, and the cuisine aspects
of the daily meals, is an extremely important aspect of group morale. 
If someone cooks a poor meal, or if there is a period of time when the
number of species which end up on our plates is low, or very
monotonous for a period of time, people become grumpy and somewhat
dispondent.  However, feasts have become very important, where we all
make great efforts to produce favorite dishes like cheesecake and
sweet potato pies, stuffed chickens, ice creams, rice and peanuts,
chutneys and crepes.  Whilst humans can, for the most part, tolerate
poor living conditions for periods of time, they do nothing to
contribute to group morale, and high morale on any long space
expedition will be extremely important to ensure success. 
 
In any food production system in space there must be room for
unpredictablility and failure.  Plants will be plants.  They will grow
very differently with only very small changes in evironmental
parameters, and problems will arise that were not seen before, or
planned for, as we have seen with the Bisophere 2 agriculture system. 
Although many crop and variety production trials were run under
conditions as close to those in Biosphere 2 as possible many plants
have acted quite differently under actual Biopshere 2 conditions. 
Bananas have become an extremely high producer for us in here, which
we did not experience in our test beds. 
 
Pests are of great importance to consider.  Even in NASA's
environmentally controlled chambers where they take great precautions
against the inclusion of pests they have seen problems with pests. 
Learning how to exclude pests completely from a system is very
important but there needs to be a back up system of pest management if
unexpected pest populations do arise.  This non-toxic integrated pest
management approach, with complex food webs, is an important aspect of
the resarch being done in Biosphere 2. 
 
Energy is a big concern in space, both the acquisition of the energy
for artifial lighting etc. but also the dealing with the heat load
created by electric motors, lights etc.  Using the sun's photons as
far as possible seems the obvious way to go, but some artificial
lighting may be needed for periods of time or for general
supplementation.  Finding the optimum light levels for food
production, which may not necessarily be the ideal levels for maximum
production/unit area, is another important area of research which
needs to be carried out. 
 
There are many questions to be answered about food production systems
and many yet to be asked that have not been thought of, but you might
say that the Biosphere 2 Agriculture system is a step towards the
total system's approach to space agriculture.  This approach and the
as yet non-recyclable systems of hydro and airoponics have very
different applications, just as the different rocket propulsion
systems have their pros, cons and very different applications. 
 
I would welcome food production as a new thread on the net. 
 
Jane Poynter
Biospherian in charge of
Field Agriculture Systems in Biosphere 2
 

Article: 54409
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Insects in Biosphere 2
Date: 4 Jan 93 22:29:07 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: [via International Space University]
 
There have been some questions regarding insects in the Biosphere
which I can say something about.
 
When first looking at the insects that would be needed for Biosphere 2
we looked at them by function, what do they do in Biosphere 1 and what
do we need the insects to do in Biosphere 2.  This can be broken down
simply as follows: Pollinators, detritivores, herbivores, insects as
food for other animals and beneficial insects used in  Integrated Pest
Management (IPM). We have not included predatory insects among our
main insect lists, excepting those used for IPM as we have many other
insect predators in the form of lizards, frogs etc. and we needed the
insect populations to establish themselves before we started putting
heavy predatory stress on them.  However, some scorpions and many
spiders volunteered their presences in the Biosphere as have dragon
and damsel flies. 
 
For the pollinators we wanted to use mainly bees that are generalists,
that would visit many different types of flowers.  We did not want
them as energy intensive as the honey bee which makes large colonies
which would probably not make it in the Biosphere in the start-up
years of the the Biomes.  Unfortunately the pollinators have not done
well and we will be doing a lot more work on establishing colonies of
solitary bees, such as the Carpenter bee which is a local insect, and
colinizing bees, such as bumble bees. 
 
The detritivores have done very well for the most part.  The ants,
millipedes, cockroaches and sow bugs have all done extremely well and
we will most likely be looking for a good cockroach predator.  We will
be doing a detailed survey of all the insects at the end of this 2
year experiment at which point we will be able to determine how well
the aquatic detritivores have done. 
 
We have tried to eliminate the herbivores from the agriculture area as
much as possible, but they are needed in the Wilderness biomes for
nutrient cycling.  The fly screen between the the 2 areas is the only
physical barrier between any of the biomes with the exception of the
human habitat, although the air does cycle through all biomes.  The
insects and other animals in the wilderness areas are free to roam
wherever they will within the wilderness biomes. 
 
When we looked at what insects we would need for the other animals to
be included in Biosphere 2 we tended to look at them morphologically.
For example, for one particular kind of frog we may have needed a 0.5"
soft bodied, nocturnal, arboreal insect.  We then had to find out how
many of these insects this frog would eat in a day and then
extrapolate from that how many such insects we would need to introduce
into the Biosphere to sustain this one species of frog. 
 
Regarding the IPM insects many species of predators and parasites were
introduced on several occasions into the agriculture area, and also
into the wilderness.  However, a number of these species have not
survived and a great deal more work is needed to make the food web
much more complex to withstand the fluxes of pest populations, and
more perrennial habitats available for these beneficial insects to
survive during "off" seasons. 
 
The major survey of the insect populations will be done at the end of
the 2 year experiment.  It will be compared with the survey done prior
to closure to see how the populations of insects have faired and
adjustments to species and population numbers will be made where
necessary. 
 
Jane Poynter
 

Article: 54420
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Biosphere and Pests
Date: 4 Jan 93 22:57:39 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (USENET News System)
Organization: University of Alaska Fairbanks
 
Reference Biosphere, email [email protected] for info on
his one man biosphere..
 
For possible help with pests and such, might give my Step-Dad a call he and my
mom have a very good garden without pesticides and use lady-bugs and worms to
produce composte and to get rid of posts, and use other methods (natural)..
 
My Step Dad is Richard Green, Master Gardner:
 
Richard Green
4711 Kupreanof
Anchorage, Alaska 99501(?)
907-561-4938.....
 
After all if he can grow Kewis in Alaska, he can help anyone with anything..
 
Michael Adams
Alias: Morgoth/Ghost Wheel 
[email protected]
PS: tell him I sent ya.. He thinks Im a worthless bum..

Article: 54952
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: [email protected]
Subject: Oxygen in Biosphere 2
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: [via International Space University]
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1993 06:15:49 GMT
 
Biosphere 2 update 1/12/93
 
Oxygen will be added to Biosphere 2, raising the concentration to 19%,
beginning Wednesday, January 13. 
 
We allowed the oxygen to drop to its current concentration of 14.4%
primarily to determine if the rate of decline would reduce with the
concentration, and to allow a study to proceed examining the
acclimation of the crew the reduced partial pressure of oxygen in the
atmosphere. Some aspects of the acclimation appear to possibly have
been delayed for reasons that are not yet clear. Tests done this week
indicated that now all crew members are showing signs of acclimation.
The crew's ability to acclimatize to falling levels of oxygen indicate
the we can function satisfactorily in the range of 16% to 19% O2. We
have observed no reduction in the rate of oxygen loss since closure. 
 
Because of the above results, increased symptoms of hypoxia being
reported from the crew and my concern as safety officer that a further
drop may lead to a safety problem, we have decided to supplement the
oxygen in Biosphere 2.  The oxygen level I am breathing now, as I key
this in, is about equal to the oxygen partial pressure at an altitude
of 13,400 feet, just over 4,000 meters. 
 
Professor Wally Broecker of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth
Observatory, who is the primary outside scientist working on oxygen in
Biosphere 2, has concurred with the plan to put in oxygen and has
reviewed our sampling and introduction protocol. Stable isotope
studies conducted by Lamont-Doherty are our primary tool in the oxygen
study along with experiments using small chambers containing soil
similar to that in Biosphere 2. 
 
Over 9,000 kg of  liquid oxygen will be trucked to the sight and
injected as gas into the west "lung" through an existing pipe fitting.
The "lung" is one of two variable volume chambers used to take the
expansion and contraction of Biosphere 2's air volume with temperature
changes etc.  The west lung will be used to check the amount of oxygen
injected by observing the volume change. The procedure will take
several days since the oxygen will be injected in stages to permit
measurements to be made as the injection proceeds. Medical work-ups
will be repeated at 17% and 19% oxygen. 
 
This is expected to be the only oxygen injection needed for the
remainder of the 1991-1993 mission. Another injection of oxygen may be
required for the activities planned between this closure and the next.
It may also be necessary, depending on the rate of oxygen decline, to
again increase oxygen levels for the next crew. 
 
The sunny day we had today ended what was the lowest light levels of
any 8 day period since closure. The reduced light was caused by rain
that produced flooding in Phoenix and Tucson. The low light forced us
to operate the CO2 removal and storage system at maximum capacity, but
even so we reached our highest CO2 concentration since closure of over
4,500 ppm. While CO2 at this level poses no threat to the crew, plants
and other animals, it can produce dangerously low pH in the ocean even
with increased alkalinity to compensate. The low light increases the
rate of oxygen depletion as well. 
 
Research samples are also scheduled to be exported on Wednesday,
January 13, 1993 at 9:30 a.m. The samples include air, water, plant
tissue, pollen, photographic film, and blood from the crew members. 
 
Taber MacCallum
Biosphere 2 crew member
[email protected]
 

Article: 55026
From: [email protected] (John Roberts)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Oxygen in Biosphere 2
Date: 14 Jan 93 03:15:05 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: National Institute of Standards and Technology formerly 
              National Bureau of Standards
 
-From: [email protected] (Brad Whitehurst)
-Subject: Re: Oxygen in Biosphere 2
-Date: 13 Jan 93 15:07:08 GMT
-Organization: University of Virginia
 
-	Very interesting!  Are the symptoms of non-acclimatized crew
-members similar to altitude sickness or does the higher total pressure
-prevent some of the altitude sickness symptoms from appearing?  I
-don't know, but I would assume that HAPE, for instance, requires lower
-total pressure.  Obviously, a crew member with symptoms that severe
-would require immediate attention, and perhaps evacuation.
 
The wide range of conditions known as "mountain sickness" (described in the
10/92 issue of Scientific American) appear to be dependent only on low
partial pressure of oxygen. There may be other medical effects resulting
from low total pressure (even with full partial pressure of oxygen), but
these are less well understood.
 
John Roberts
[email protected]

Article: 55084
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Oxygen in Biosphere 2
Date: 15 Jan 93 05:54:59 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: [via International Space University]
 
Biosphere 2 update, 01/14/93
 
Oxygen began coming in yesterday, thus far the O2 has been increased
by 0.5% to 14.9%. The total addition will be slow, over about the next
10 days. Yes, the oxygen is actually being removed from the Biosphere
2 atmosphere. In fact we are missing 12,000 kg of oxygen. Although
biological de-nitrification is producing a small amount of nitrogen
gas, it only accounts for a very small fraction of the observed
decrease in the relative concentration of oxygen. The number of moles
of air in Biosphere 2, as calculated from the volume in the variable
chambers and temperature etc., is decreasing. The observed decrease in
atmospheric mass corresponds to the rate of oxygen loss. Also the
relative concentration of other noble gasses like argon, and trace
gasses added like SF6, confirm a removal of the oxygen has occurred.
The capacity of the variable volume chambers has been enough to handle
the reduced total volume. 
 
The symptoms are the same as at high altitude, though remember that we
have "ascended the mountain" over a period of 15 months. The slow
reduction in the partial pressure of oxygen has allowed us to
acclimate so the effect is slightly different from that of suddenly
experiencing reduced pO2, as in a flight simulation chamber. Our
respiration and hart rate increased  and changes in the chemistry and
composition of our blood occurred in order to help compensate for the
reduced pO2. The acute medical problems with reduced pO2 are
associated mainly with the rapid accent of a mountain or a rapid
reduction in pO2. 
 
We all went to the location where the oxygen was being injected and
the result was quite invigorating. After suddenly breathing air with a
full compliment of oxygen, for the first time in over a year, I must
say that the difference is quite profound. The oxygen not only
effected me physically in the form of easier of breathing, generally
increased energy and increased work capacity , but also emotionally. I
am less irritable and I feel like I am emerging from a pot of thick
goo. Also thinking seems to go faster and more accurately. Others of
the crew have reported similar effects.  If anybody out there is
taking your air for granted, I'd reconsider. This experience brings
home to me the extreme seriousness of depending on a life support
system for the years involved in a Mars mission. Whether the system is
physical chemical, biological or some combination of both, insidious
problems that slowly effect the crews performance will tend to create
a positive feedback system, the less the crew is capable of handling
the situation, the worse the situation gets. There is not going to be
a quick rescue mission possible if things go wrong at any significant
distance from Earth. 
 
Taber MacCallum
Biosphere 2 crew
[email protected]
 

    Interesting !!!
    
    Obviously the lost O2 is being fed into the CO2 they have been 
    extracting for later release in part or in full.
    
    Would be interesting to know, what is the percentage of the lost 
    O2 being sinked into their CO2 surplus. And weather there is any 
    other O2 sink present.
    
    Also is the lost Carbon (in the surplus CO2) coming directly from 
    their biomass, thus shrinking total mass of plants and animals 
    present. Or are the plants compensating by extracting extra Carbon 
    from the soil.
    
    Their problem seems to be coming from a lack of sun-light as they
    have mentioned many times before. Rather then from an insufficent
    number of plants.  So  a better and more permanent solution would 
    be for them  to increase  the sun-light levels  with concentrator 
    mirrors and so on rather then importing the missing Oxygen.
    
    Gil

Why not send mail to Taber and ask him, Gil?

Burns

    Re.-1  
    
    Good idea, I will try. If I get an answer I will post it here.
    
    Gil

Article: 55613
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: [email protected]
Subject: Biosphere 2 Oxygen and other Questions
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: [via International Space University]
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 06:02:39 GMT
 
Biosphere 2 Oxygen and other Questions
January 27, 1993
 
Sixteen months down and eight to go.
 
Sorry to be so long in posting answers to the many questions, I simply
have not been able to make enough time in here. 
 
We don't know where all the oxygen has gone. This is one of the
biggest mysteries so far. While the CO2 removal system can account for
some of the O2 loss, as oxidation of organic material producing CO2,
which was then removed from the air by the system. The amount of CO2
removed from the air only accounts for about one fifth of the total
oxygen deficit. We have essentially two leading theories, first is
oxidation of reduced compounds that may have been present at closure,
like possibly a reduced iron. The second is oxidation of organic
material in the soil and subsequent precipitation of the CO2 as a
calcium carbonate, the parent materials for this are abundant but the
necessary conditions are in question. We are also in the process of
doing small chamber experiments with soil similar to that in Biosphere
2. Carbon and Oxygen isotopes are also being extensively studied for
clews to what is going on. The soils are the main point of interest
because it is the only place in the biosphere big enough to hide
12,000 Kg of O2. 
 
The CO2 is now at an average concentration of 3500 ppm, with a 400 to
500 ppm diurnal swing. The sunny weather we are having now is bringing
the average CO2 concentration down at a rate of 80 ppm per diurnal
cycle, without any use of the CO2 removal system which is now off. 
This means that the draw down during the day is 80 ppm greater than
the rise at night. To put 3,500 ppm in perspective, a room with people
in it and normal ventilation can easily get this high. Also CO2
concentrations between 5,000 and 8,000 ppm CO2 is not uncommon in the
space shuttle and submarines. Human health difficulties seem to begin
at about 9,000 to 11,000 ppm. Increased CO2 does result in faster
growth rates with many plants. 
 
There was no bias against the Sabatier or Bosch systems, they were
simply not considered necessary at the time. We had no idea that the
oxygen phenomena would occur. What we did know was that during the
winter we would have an excess of CO2 and in the summer quite possibly
a deficit. We are able to put the CO2 back in the air during the
summer and have it made into plant material, thus completing an annual
cycle of CO2 storage and release. The summer release of CO2 should
stimulate plant growth and replenish some of the oxygen. A basic
problem with the Sabatier or Bosch systems and our situation is that
we do not have enough CO2 in the air to significantly change the O2
using a system that would liberate the O2 form the CO2. Even in the
summer with low CO2 in the air, the O2 loss is at about 0.26% O2 per
month, while the average CO2 concentration is fairly constant at only
0.12%. Even converting all the CO2 in the air to C + O2 would have
little effect on the O2 situation. Using such a system to drive the
CO2 even lower would begin to reduce food crop production rates,
because the plants would become limited by the availability of CO2. So
there is no need to transform the CO2, just temporarily store it in
the winter. Note that if we had constant high levels of light, like in
space for instance, this CO2 storage scenario would be mute because we
would have no need to try and survive a low light season! 
 
The CO2 removal system I designed uses sodium hydroxide as a scrubbing
fluid, removing a fraction of all acid forming gasses in the air. This
is done using a large reaction column with a high air flow rate, even
so we can only remove 100 to 200 ppm per day with the system. On a low
sunlight day the CO2 can jump up 300 to 400 ppm, so the system can
only moderate trends. The sodium carbonates formed from the CO2 and
sodium hydroxide are reacted with calcium hydroxide to form CaCO3
(limestone) which regenerates the scrubbing fluid back to sodium
hydroxide. The CO2 is thus stored as CaCO3 until time to release the
CO2, which is done by heating the CaCO3 making CaCO and CO2. The CaCO
can then be re-hydrated with the water in the scrubbing fluid and all
the chemicals are restored and ready for the next winter. This may not
be the best system, but it works. It is too heavy for a space
application but may possibly be made from local materials. 
 
Also a basic problem with any system is the need to process a large
volume of air. If the CO2 was at 1000 ppm, then for every liter of CO2
removed, one needs to process 2000 liters of air with a 50% efficient
system. This can be done either by pre-concentrating, which is
difficult with a volume as big as Biosphere 2, or processing the whole
air which is also hard. Ambient temperature scrubbing of air in a
reaction column, using a hydroxide, can handle large volumes of air
quite easily. A similar system is used in space craft with solid
lithium hydroxide. Pressure swing systems are being considered for
space station using materials that adsorb CO2 at cabin pressure and
release the CO2 to space vacuum and/or with heating. 
 
The smell is usually great. I have a pure air generator that makes
very clean air by pressure swing adsorption, air with no smell. By
breathing this air for a period of about 30 minutes, it tends to
"zero" my sense of smell so for a short time after, 4 to 10 minutes, I
can smell the air in the Biosphere. It smells like rich farm soil (not
potting mix), a sweet fresh smell. There are some exceptions to this,
like when the sewage system has a problem such as inadvertent
overflowing, but after cleanup the smell only persists for one to
three of hours. Also if a container of some wet organic material is
not tended, it can smell rather bad. 
 
Methane buildups have not occurred, this is probably due to
methanotrophic bacteria increasing to consume the methane thereby
keeping it in check. We have thus-far had no problem with any trace
compounds building up in the atmosphere or water supply. We haven't
even needed to use the soil bed reactor system to clean the air. The
soil bed reactor is designed to force air through the soil in the
agriculture biome as a means of cleaning the air. 
 
We are now at the two thirds mark, I am sorry to say that I can not be
more specific than to say that group dynamics are quite exciting. Some
studies I have seen say that in a situation with a confined crew, the
third quarter is usually the most difficult time. Oxygen additions are
continuing, we are now at about 17.5%. The low light conditions that
we have had over the last two months may delay harvest times with some
crops as much as a month. The effect of this on our total food
production will not be fully seen until mid March, at which time we
will be able to evaluate the situation decisively. 
 
Taber MacCallum
Biosphere 2 Crew
 

Article: 55950
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: [email protected]
Subject: Food production in Biosphere 2
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: [via International Space University]
Date: Tue, 2 Feb 1993 05:27:07 GMT
 
Food production in Biosphere 2
 
As I said in my last post, the unprecedentedly cloudy weather has
caused a new set of problems growing our food.   The cloudy weather
has been concurrent with (maybe partly responsible for) increased
insect pest problems. 
 
In some cases, particularly with the grain crops, we are likely to get
only one quarter to one half the projected yields from this year's
winter crops. Our sweet potato crops have also been set back by about
two months.  The low light levels came just at a time when the grain
crops needed the energy from the sun to tiller and set good seed
heads, without the energy they just did not do so well. In addition to
the weather, a steadily increasing numbers of mites damaged the sweet
potato crop. The mites which thrive in humid cloudy conditions 
increased in numbers over the winter months of December and January.
We managed somewhat to keep them in check by regular spraying with a
non-toxic horticultural oil which 'suffocates' the mite on contact,
but despite these efforts and the introduction of 2 species of
predatory mite during closure, the mites reached damaging levels. 
 
We have had to use some seed reserve for dietary supplements which we
were hoping to replace with new seed stock in the spring. It now looks
as if we may need to import some beans and grain as a supplement to
the diet unless the potato and grain crops improve over the next
couple of months with a return of sunnier conditions. 
 
 Plant samples have also been exported  for extensive testing to
analyze  other factors that may be involved  in the low yields. To
date we have produced approximately 88% of our food . The other 12%
has been drawn from a 3 month supply of food that was grown in
Biosphere 2 before the experiment began, and from seed reserve . 
 
If we do have to import some food, we will have provided ourselves
with between 80% and 90% of our food during this first two year
mission. The aim is to bring production up to 100% during the next
mission and we expect to be making many refinements to the system,
based on our experiences as the research continues. 
 
That is the latest news.
 
Taber MacCallum
Biosphere 2 crew

The above is my opinion only, and does not represent the views or
policy of Space Biospheres Ventures in any way. 
 

Article: 57209
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Biosphere 2 S.A.C.
Date: 18 Feb 93 21:01:10 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: [via International Space University]
 
Biosphere 2 update, February 18, 1993.
 
The Biosphere 2 Scientific Advisory Committee has been dissolved.
 
I have received many questions about the dissolution of the Biosphere
2 Science Advisory Committee (S.A.C.) so I will comment then post the
press release that was made by Edward P. Bass, Chairman of the Board
of S.B.V. and Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy, Chairman of the S.A.C.. It is
certainly a loss to the Biosphere 2 project not to have the S.A.C..
The management of Space Biospheres Ventures (S.B.V.) and the committee
were unable to work together, making interaction between committee
members and Biosphere 2 scientists frustrating. I have the highest
respect for all the members of the committee and think dissolving the
committee was appropriate given the circumstances. When the dust has
settled there are many great lessons about how to conduct science as a
part of a private business venture that has little or no government
involvement. In future private space missions, a strong collaboration
between the scientific community and business will greatly benefit
both endeavors, but it is much more difficult than one might first
imagine. I will expand on this theme at another time but very briefly:
 
To set the tone of the situation, consider the immediate association
when you think of a scientists opinion of big business and the
reverse. As I see it, the relationship in a private/scientific space
project can not be that of a paid consultant where the business can
take the advice or leave it and ultimately the consultant does not
care, it is also not that of a grant or contract for service from one
to the other. The relationship between business and science in a
non-government space project will involve reputations, carriers,
scientific expertise, academic institutions and government scientific
institutions. To work, this relationship will require a large amount
of mutual trust and openness between people that have so often found
themselves on opposite sides of the fence, creating a growing distrust
especially with regard to environmental issues. While it is by no
means impossible to overcome, the inevitable conflicts of interest
must be dealt with before they occur. An over simplified example is
that a business may need to protect some information as proprietary or
feel that the companies reputation is as risk, while the science of
the project requires an open dialogue or publication. This issue is
not new, but quickly becomes surprisingly complex and is fundamentally
different from that of a scientist hired by a company to do a job, it
will require allot of exploration before this type of a joint venture
can be undertaken. 
 
Here is the press release.
 
***
 
BIOSPHERE 2 SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE DISSOLVED
 
    February 15, 1993 - The Scientific Advisory Committee (S.A.C.) of
Biosphere 2 has been dissolved; although some members of the committee
will continue in their advisory role to the project. 
 
    Members recommended the committee disband at this time because
personality conflicts between some S.A.C. members and some members of
the Space Biospheres Ventures (S.B.V.) team resulted in the inability
of the committee to proceed in its current capacity.  It's expected
that a new science review process will be formed under the aegis of
Biosphere 2's Director of Research, a new position which the committee
recommended be created last July.  The position is expected to be
filled within the next six weeks following a lengthy professional
search process. 
 
    "Although the committee feels the scientific research of Biosphere
2 has made good progress, I and several members of the committee found
the working relationship at times to be frustrating", said Dr. Thomas
E. Lovejoy, Chairman of the S.A.C..  "I'd like to reiterate that the
whole committee retains its enthusiasm for what Biosphere 2 can
contribute to the field of closed system ecology." 
 
    Edward P. Bass, Chairman of the Board of S.B.V., said several
members of the committee have either submitted their letters of
resignation or expressed their intention to do so in order to clear
the slate for the new Director of Research.. 
 
    "The crux of the matter is that the process proved to be unwieldy.
The are inherent difficulties with an unpaid, volunteer committee,
conducting scientific review of the sort that is customary in an
academic or publicly-funded context, consulting to a multi-faceted
private corporation whose research and development has commercial
aspects,"  said Ed Bass. 
 
    "I am very grateful for the hard work and tremendous assistance
the S.A.C. has given over the last year.  Important progress has been
made, both in terms of the conduct of research at Biosphere 2 and the
public's perception and understanding.  For example, following the
committee's recommendation in its' July report for import and export
of scientific supplies and samples, new protocols have been put in
place which greatly enhance the research underway.  There have already
been several papers published in scientific journals, and there are
now more than 60 research projects including the first tightly
monitored experiment with human nutrition on a nutrient-dense/calorie-
restricted diet, and expanded research into oxygen dynamics within 
Biosphere 2."
 
        "I thank each member for their valuable contribution, and I
look forward to continue working with them on this and other projects
of mutual interest." 
 
***
 
That's the latest.
 
Taber MacCallum
Biosphere 2 crew

Article: 60516
From: [email protected] (Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Biosphere Books Wanted!
Date: 5 Apr 93 10:02:27 -0600
Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
(CLAUDIO OLIVEIRA EGALON) writes: 

>> Is there any books or ? on Biospheres, types, and operation and such..???
>  
> Are talking about Biosphere II??? If so, I am aware that the gift shop of  
> Biosphere  II have a couple of books about the project.
 
Below, a draft FAQ and reading list I've compiled on Biosphere 2. 
 
Also note that Taber MacCallum, one of the econauts currently inside
Biosphere 2, can be reached at [email protected].  He has occasionally
posted to Space Digest, though I suspect some software glitch has
prevented the gateway from sending his messages into sci.space (the
Usenet side).
 
======================
Biosphere 2 is an attempt by a private company, Space Biospheres
Ventures, to build a completely self-supporting, self-contained
environment which supports plants, animals, and eight humans in a
sealed structure for two years.  Such "closed environment life support
systems" will need to be developed for long-term living in space, so
there is great interest in Biosphere 2 among students of astronautics.
Critics, however, have complained that the project contains more
wishful thinking than science, and is unlikely to produce any useful
research.
 
The site is near Oracle, Arizona, about an hour east of Tucson.  Tours
are available (but you can't go *inside* the Biosphere while it's
sealed, can you?).
 
SPACE BIOSPHERES VENTURES            
P.O. Box 689, Oracle, AZ  85623                       
(602)792-2156 
 
The two available books have been written by members of the Biosphere
group.
 
*Space Biospheres*  by John Allen and Mark Nelson. Malabar, Fla.  
Orbit Book Co., 1987, c1986. (89 pages) [Small book discusses the
history and general theory of the biosphere  and the construction of
Biosphere 2 (not much detail) and future space habitats (a plan for a
growing Mars colony is included).]
 
*Biosphere 2: The Human Experiment* by John Allen ; edited by  
Anthony Blake. New York, New York : Viking Penguin, 1991.   (156
pages) [A recent coffee-table volume with lots of color illustrations
of B-2, ancillary facilities, and the chosen econauts.]
 
Magazine articles:
 
Watson, Traci, "Can Basic Research Ever Find a Good Home in Biosphere
2?," *Science*, v.259, p.1688-1689, 19 March 1993.
 
Dempster, W., *The Journal of Aerospace Engineering*, Jan 1991, pages
23-30.  [Semi-technical overview]
 
Kosowatz, John J., "Giant Ecological Lab Rises in the Desert,"
*ENR (Engineering News Record)*, Dec. 21, 1989, pp. 34-38.
 
Robbins, Jim, "Small World," *Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine*, May
31, 1987, p. 8-23.
 
There have been good pop-science treatments in *Discover* (sometime in
1987? Summer?),  out and *Whole Earth Review* (1990 sometime?) but I
have yet to get the exact references. Side note: Photos suggest that
one reason Biosphere got such a honeymoon with the press was that they
had *really good food* at their coming-out press conference in 1987. 
Or at least really photogenic food.  
 
Criticism of Biosphere 2
 
Marc Cooper of the *Village Voice* has conducted a one-man war on
Biosphere 2 with extensive and detailed articles critical of the
project.  It was after the appearance of his coverage in early 1991
that a wave of Biosphere-hostile stories, usually citing Cooper,
appeared in the press.
 
"Take This Terrarium and Shove It" by Marc Cooper, *The Village
Voice*,  April 2, 1991 
 
"'When He Hits You, It's a Compliment:' Johnny Allen Rools-- and Cult
Members Knuckle Under by Marc Cooper, *The Village Voice*, April 2, 1991. 
 
"The Martian Chronicles: How the Media Spaced Out on the Biosphere" by
Marc Cooper, *The Village Voice*, April 2, 1991
 
"Profits of Doom: The Biosphere project Finally Comes Out of the
Closet-- As a Theme Park" by Marc Cooper, *The Village Voice*, July
30, 1991
 
"Faking It: The Biosphere is a Model of the Earth After All-- It's
Suffering from Runaway Greenhouse Effect" by Marc Cooper, *The Village
Voice*, November 12, 1991
 
Stewart, Rocky L., "Bubble Trouble," *Harper's*, Vol. CCLXXXIV, No.
1701, Feb. 1992, pp. 29-30.
 
"Biosphere 2: The Next Generation All the Smithsonian's Horses and All
the Smithsonian's Men Won't Put the Arizona Bubble Back Together
Again" by Marc Cooper, *The Village Voice*, May 5, 1992
 
[Many thanks to Brian 'Rev P-K' Siano ([email protected]) for providing
references to the *Village Voice* articles.]
 
-- 
     O~~*           /_) ' / /   /_/ '  ,   ,  ' ,_  _           \|/
   - ~ -~~~~~~~~~~~/_) / / /   / / / (_) (_) / / / _\~~~~~~~~~~~zap!
 /       \                          (_) (_)                    / | \
 |       |     Bill Higgins   Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
 \       /     Bitnet:     [email protected]
   -   -       Internet:  [email protected]
     ~         SPAN/Hepnet:      43011::HIGGINS 

Article: 60517
From: [email protected] (Ethan Dicks)
Subject: Re: Biosphere Books Wanted!
Newsgroups: sci.space
Date: 5 Apr 93 01:56:19 EDT
Organization: Not an Organization
 
CLAUDIO OLIVEIRA EGALON ([email protected]) wrote:

: > Is there any books or ? on Biospheres, types, and operation and such..???
:  
: Are talking about Biosphere II??? If so, I am aware that the gift shop of  
: Biosphere  II have a couple of books about the project.
 
I was just there last week.  The literature is mostly 4-color glossies
with a low information content.  The gift shop is effectively for tourists.
 
I, too, would like some in-depth info on the BiosphereII project.  A book
like the _Space Shuttle Operator's Guide_ would probably do the trick.
 
-ethan
 

Article: 60749
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Biosphere II
Sender: [email protected] (News)
Organization: LMSC, Sunnyvale, California
Date: Wed, 7 Apr 93 23:57:34 GMT
 
Bill,
 
Here are some more Biosphere II articles for your reading list.  If
you want some help with that FAQ let me know. 
 
As one of those "critics" of it, I have to remind you that the
operators/organizers were a theater troupe before they started this
venture.  They all got their "scientific" degrees from an unaccredited
university in France that they founded and run.  But, some of the
people currently inside the structure are real science professionals
with degrees.  People like Ray Walford. 
 
As for the science it may produce, they are going about it in an very
unusual manner which will probably not generate any useful data. If
they ever release any data.  (They have been very closed so far.)
Their approach is to throw all the organisms into a mostly closed
environment and see what happens, or what survives.  A good scientific
approach would be to take a simple ecology where we understand the
interactions between the organisms and then increase the complexity
slightly by adding another organism (one variable).  That way we can
say for sure that the perturbations in the resulting system are due to
the new organism.  With their approach we won't know what interactions
caused what perturbations because there are too many variables. 
 
As a publicity event for space, ecology and the environment, it is 
unparalleled.  If you look at it in that way, it is a success.
 
Newspaper Articles:

"Visitors to a Small Planet: Earth, Meet Biosphere II", by Jim Robbins, 
_New York Times_, Oct. 16, 1989.
 
"5 Days in a Self-Contained Imitation World", _New York Times_ Mar. 14, 1989.
 
"Biosphere II: Learning to manage natural ecosystems", by Nirmal 
Ghosh, _The Times Of India_ Apr. 5, 1989.
 
"Biosphere II", by Kathleen A. Dyhr, _Space Frontier_, Jan1987, pg 6-9.
 
"Not Your Average Terrarium", by Sharon Begley & Lynda Wright, 
_Newsweek_ Jun. 1 1987. pg 60.
 
"Visit to a Tiny Planet: Within Glass Walls, Five Climates and 3,800 
Species", by Seth Mydans, _New York Times_ Apr 30, 1990, pg C11.
 
"8 Pioneers Will Enter Their Own Little World", by Thomas H. Maugh 
II, _Los Angeles Times_, Mar. 23, 1987.
 
Magazine Articles:

"Earth's First Visitors To Mars", by Gina Maranto, _Discover_ May 
1987, pg 28-43.
 
"Building an ecosystem from scratch", by Mark Holman Turner, 
_BioScience_, Mar. 1989, Vol. 39, #3, pg 147-150.
 
"Trouble In Paradise", by Roger H Ressmeyer, _Air & Space_ Dec. 
1991, pg 55-65.
 
"An Insider's Look at Biosphere 2", by Ken Davidian, _Spacefaring 
Gazette_ Apr. 1993, Vol 9, #2, pg 1.
 
"Scientific" Papers:

"Biosphere 2: Overview of System Performance During the First Nine 
Months", by William F. Dempster, SAE Paper 921129, 22nd 
International Conference on Environmental Systems, Jul. 13-16, 1992.
 
There is also an article in Omni in 1987(?).  I have many more 
newspaper articles too.  Let me know if you want them.
 
Tim Stroup
Lockheed Missiles & Space Co.
Sunnyvale, CA
[email protected]

Date: Sun, 11 Jul 93 20:01:00 PDT
From: Jane Poynter <bio2!Jane%[email protected]>
Subject: Biosphere 2 update

An update from Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum in Biosphere 2.

It is 11 weeks to go before what is being termed "re-entry" for the 8
of us in the Biosphere, when we will celebrate with a big party! 

Meanwhile, inside the Biosphere the summer's sun is producing more
food and a reduced rate of O2 loss. Goat kids born about 9 weeks ago
have been weaned and are growing well. Jane tried a new method that
gave us more milk and seemed to reduce the trauma for the kids. Some
extra goat fodder and having the milk that was going to the kids has
brought our milk production to an all time high, so we are making
cheese! It is a very mild cheese partly because we don't give it long
to age, but very good and a nice addition to our culinary situation.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that Taber  won't get his pizza
with all the toppings very soon after emerging from the biosphere
because all the cheese, meet and fat would undoubtedly make him
extremely ill. 

The summer harvest is upon us.  So far this year the yields have been
better than last, mainly due to the sunny weather which has been
pretty steady over the Biosphere for the past several months.  There
have been some problems with the ever pervasive broad mite which has
been attacking the sweet potatoes, but for the most part the disease
has been far less this year. We start our final rice harvest of this
experiment tomorrow. We will also be filling our stores with peanuts,
sweet potatoes, sorghum, pinto and soy beans.  These will in part be
eaten by this crew, leaving some for the "start up" stock for the next
crew, who will be commencing their year long experiment February,
1994.  There will be a 5 month "transition phase" where all the
systems will be handed over to the next crew.  During that time there
will be detailed surveys of plants, animals, soils etc. completed for
biomass increase calculations, species extinction figures (which looks
pretty good using the visual data we have without making the in depth
survey that will happen at the end of this mission) and other such
surveys, and some of the technical systems will be improved for
easier, more reliable operation. 

Taber spends his mornings now climbing up in the structure of the
biosphere 80 to 100 feet up pruning back vines that have grown up in
the space frame and are blocking the light that would otherwise fall
on the rain forest canopy.  The thorn scrub was brought out of
dormancy several weeks ago, and the savannah last week by starting the
monsoon rains in those areas.  Before raining in the savannah the
human population in Bio2 became the large herd of grazers usually seen
in natural savannas and harvested over a ton of biomass (wet weight),
which is being dried and stored in the basement, to be eventually put
back on the wilderness biomes as compost or mulch. 

Oxygen is now at 17.8% and we are beginning to feel the effects of low
O2 again. We are still working on the question of where the O2 is
going but are now sure that the O2 loss is concurrent with an apparent
loss of active carbon from the system probably as CO2.  This was
determined by mass balance of isotopic abundances in the soil and
plant tissue etc. This, along with the rate of O2 loss varying
inversely with the sun light flux on the biosphere, tends to support
the hypothesis of oxygen loss through oxidation of soil organic
material and subsequent deposition of the CO2 as calcium carbonate.
The CO2 average was running about 1,700 ppm until about a week ago,
when the level has risen due to several consecutive cloudy days. 
Toxic compounds in the air and water are at an all time low probably
due, at least in part, to a decline in the rate of off gassing from
construction materials as they age. 

Morale seems pretty high at the moment, which has not been true for
parts of the mission, especially during the times of low oxygen and
low food consumption.  Certainly our reentry is viewed with
excitement, anticipation and a degree of trepidation, and certainly
does not seem far away now. 

Well, that's it for now.   We look forward to speaking with people
about various aspects of the Biosphere 2 experience as well as
arranging talks. 

Jane Poynter, Taber MacCallum

  "There is a wonderful power in doing; it enlarges the ability to do more." 

                       - Old Farmers Almanac, 1856

[email protected]
[email protected]

Article: 4972
From: [email protected] (UPI)
Newsgroups: clari.tw.environment,clari.news.interest.quirks,clari.tw.science
Subject: Biosphere crew emerges from enclosure after 2 year experiment
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 93 11:50:49 PDT
 
	ORACLE, Ariz. (UPI) -- Four men and four women bounded out of their
own little world Sunday, wrapping up a unique and oft-criticized two-year 
experiment to see if humans can sustain themselves in a finite environment.

	In matching blue flight suits, the crew left the 3.1 acre ``Biosphere
II,'' so named because it was supposed to mimic the conditions of the
much larger ``Biosphere I,'' otherwise known as Earth.

	The crew appeared to be in good condition when they took their first
breath of fresh air in two years, although they seemed grateful to be
free of the enclosure. The giant greenhouse was designed to be fully
self-contained and included mini versions of an ocean, desert, savannah,
rainforest and marsh.

	``It was an extraordinary challenge,'' said Abigail Alling, 34, an
associate director of research for Biosphere II shortly after leaving
the crystalline enclosure at 8:15 a.m.

	``This will be the first step in maintaining humans separate from
Earth's biospere,'' Alling said.

	Scientists have criticized the $150 million project as more art than
science, noting that project managers were forced to pump oxygen into
the sphere and one of the inhabitants left the dome to receive medical
attention. In January, a panel of outside scientists monitoring the
project resigned en masse.

	The inhabitants first were sealed in the Biosphere II on Sept. 26,
1991. Since then, the giant greenhouse near Tucson has become a tourist
attraction, with thousands paying $13 for a tour of the grounds and
buying $17 ``Bio-2'' T-shirts. It's surpassed only by the Grand Canyon
as Arizona's most popular tourist destination.

	Mark Nelson, 46, co-founder of Space Biosphere Ventures, the private
consortium that created the giant environment, said, ``the eight of us
struggled and made an operating manual for the world. They said it
couldn't be done, but where we are. We've come out of another world.''

	The Biosphere II is described by backers as a ``100-year experiment,''
And backers said after a five-month transition period, another crew will
move into the structure for a one-year stay.

	Organizers hope to use the experiences of the ``biospherians'' to
investigate the processes that sustain life on Earth and the pollution
that threatens it. Their findings also may aid the design of future
space colonies.

	``Synthetic biospheres can support people for ecological and space
studies,'' said Jane Poynter, 31, who was in charge of field crops and
animals during her stay in Biosphere II. ``We know the answers inside.''

	Mark van Thillo, 32, was co-captain of the project and served as
technical systems manager. In that capacity, he manned 200 electrical
motors, 120 pumps and 25 air handlers.

	``We stand here wondering what happened,'' he said. He explained that
water was recycled through the whole system and that the atmospehre was
not polluted.

	``We have in our hands the technology to destroy our whole planet or
make things better,'' he said.

	The biosphere contained nearly 3,800 species of plants and animals.
Biospherians raised 88 percent of their food, recycled all their waste
and almost all their air and nurtured a self-sustaining ocean ecosystem.

    Biosphere 2 maybe  "unscientific"  but it has done more to raise
    enviromental awareness  then any other project/thing I have ever
    heard about... While showing that something can be done about it.
    
    Lets congratulate these people, they deserve it. 
    
    Gil

  I guess I'm still a little skeptical. On one hand, they do seem to be putting
a lot of effort into creating the earth like environment and the fact that one
guy had medical help and some oxygen was added don't really detract from that.
If that's the only help they needed from the outside, then it was minimal and
easy to document. 

  I'm more worried about why the scientific board jumped ship. Even if it is
not the perfect bio type environment it appears to be, it is, if nothing else,
a really advanced and expensive laboratory. Why would all the scientists on the
board want to disassociate themselves with what looked like an easy job with
easy access to expensive and hard to duplicate laboratory environment? 

  The most obvious reason would be that they were not allowed to do real
science in the laboratory and that a conflict existed between the type of work
the science board wanted to do and the economic goals of running a theme park.
Now maybe that's wrong, but lacking a better excuse, that's the one that seems
most likely. 

  George

    
    I don't understand all the criticism when what appears to be the first
    run of the experiment didn't go perfectly.  Maybe it was all the 
    hoop-la.  The next run will begin in about a year.  Supposedly with
    some refurbishing and fine-tuning in between.  If they help finance the
    place by selling a few T-shirts then good for them.

    fred();

Maybe it shouldn't be considered a scientific experiment as much as it
was an engineering experiment.

They went in with a number of principles to test out, they had some setbacks,
they were oriented towards "doing something" and not just becoming a source
of data for a bunch of scientists who have their own ideas about how things
"should" be done.

I have no idea what scientific merits it has or lacks, but if they didn't
outright cheat, it seemed to be a good (and gutsy) eco-engineering testbed.


- dave

    	The Sunday, September 26, 1993 issue of The Boston Globe Magazine
    has an article on a Globe Staff member's 24-hour stay in the Biosphere
    2 Test Module, complete with color photographs.
    
    	Larry
    

From:	US1RMC::"[email protected]" "MAIL-11 Daemon"  9-DEC-1993 20:12:57.11
To:	Multiple recipients of list <[email protected]>
CC:	
Subj:	Top Ten List for 12/9/93

---> September 28, 1993 <---

======================================
Top Ten Complaints Of The Biospherians
======================================

10. Bad planning to have everyone in there be named "Billy"
 9. All the jokes about people who live in glass houses
 8. Bio-toast was usually bio-burned
 7. Cockroaches the size of lawn tractors
 6. Completely missed two of Madonna's "new looks"
 5. Sick of people calling us "Trekkies"
 4. Never found Waldo
 3. On second day, badminton birdie got stuck in rafters
 2. Crazy woman who kept breaking in claming to be "Mrs. Biosphere"
 1. Bio-sores.

% ====== Internet headers and postmarks (see DECWRL::GATEWAY.DOC) ======
% Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1993 18:38:49 -0600
% Reply-To: [email protected]
% Originator: [email protected]
% Sender: [email protected]
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% From: "Brian Peek, w/ A. Rauch (CABBS)" <[email protected]>
% To: Multiple recipients of list <[email protected]>
% Subject: Top Ten List for 12/9/93
% X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0a -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas
% X-Comment: Late Show with David Letterman Top Ten Lists

Article: 5205
From: [email protected] (AP)
Newsgroups: clari.local.arizona,clari.tw.science,clari.tw.misc
Subject: Biosphere 2 Alters Plan
Date: Sun, 20 Feb 94 9:10:20 PST
 
	ORACLE, Ariz. (AP) -- The Biosphere 2 story has always been
less science than soap opera: Could eight people survive for two years
sealed off from the outside world in a high-tech ecological bubble? 

	Survive they did. However, the project's credibility with the
public and mainstream scientists suffered; organizers delayed or
downplayed setbacks like crop failures and losses of oxygen in the
glass compound's atmosphere. 

	Now, as the private, for-profit project prepares to send in a
second crew March 6, organizers are abandoning the policy that drew
the world's attention in the first place. 

	Instead of completely sealing the 3-acre dome in the desert
north of Tucson, they'll allow scientists and eventually other
visitors to enter for short stays. A permanent crew will live inside,
but its members will change periodically like a relay team, officials
of Space Biospheres Ventures said Feb. 11. 

	The change received qualified endorsements from some
mainstream scientists who have been critical of Biosphere. 

	``If you want to do science, you have to have that kind of
flexibility, and it doesn't spoil the experiment,'' said Thomas
Lovejoy, vice president for external affairs of the Smithsonian
Institution. Lovejoy was the chair of an outside advisory committee
that examined the project but then resigned over differences with
project managers. 

	``As long as you measure what you take in and take out, you
have a valid experiment going,'' Lovejoy said. 

	Biosphere 2's first ``mission'' ended Sept. 26, when four men
and four women emerged after two years of tending and studying the
giant terrarium, which holds a miniature farm, rain forest, marsh,
ocean, savannah and desert. 

	The inhabitants -- ``Biosphereans'' in the New Age terminology
of the project -- managed to raise 80 percent of the food they needed.
One crew member had to leave briefly for finger surgery after an
accident. The atmosphere had to be balanced with carbon
dioxide-scrubbing equipment and oxygen injections instead of the
natural interplay of plants and animals as planned. 

	``The idea they had initially -- which was, `Hey we're going
to seal these eight people up in glass' -- sounded dramatic,'' said
NASA scientist Gerald Soffen, another member of the disbanded advisory
panel. 

	``The press loved it, and the public loved it. But they fell
out of love as soon as they cracked the door. ... The real question is, 
`Can you sustain an environment?''' 

	In the last five months, all the plants in the glass-and-steel
structure have been surveyed and several mechanical systems upgraded. 

	A crew of seven to be sealed in March 6 includes Norberto
Alvarez-Romo, an SBV vice president who plans to spend four months
inside. After he leaves, three outside scientists are expected to make
short-term visits in the next year, said Margret Augustine, president
of Space Biospheres Ventures. 

	Teachers, technical specialists, managers, environmentalists,
even business people will be eligible for stays of a few weeks to months. 

	Members of the base crew will have staggered stays of several
months to more than a year in the dome, which has apartments to sleep
10. All non-emergency visitors will have to work on the farm, even a
doctor who's scheduled to make a ``house call'' three months after the
crew takes up residence. 

	``This new policy makes Biosphere 2 into a research
laboratory,'' said research director John Corliss. ``The important
thing now is we can make use of scientists going into the Biosphere
and making their own observations.'' 

	Designed to run for 100 years, the $150 million project is
financed largely by Texas tycoon Edward Bass and is run as a
for-profit research operation and tourist attraction. 

	Biosphere 2 could begin living up to its promise if reputable
outside scientists take advantage of the new policy, NASA's Soffen
said from Greenbelt, Md. 

	``If they really do that in an honest way it'll bring some
real information,'' Soffen said. ``I think they could learn some
science and I think they could improve their credibility.'' 

From:	US1RMC::"[email protected]" 23-FEB-1994 17:23:29.76
CC:	
Subj:	ISECCo Update: Front Page News

     From the front page of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Thursday 
February 17, 1994:
 
Space Club Hopes to Launch Subterranean Biosphere Project

     From  his cabin that overlooks a knock-out view of Denali, where  four 
African  fish swim in a tank of murky water, and a grapevine grows  in  the 
living room, Ray Collins dreams of living in space.

     Collins, 35, is the founder of the International Space Exploration and 
Colonization  Co.  a Fairbanks-based non-profit club of  sorts  devoted  to 
space-oriented research and development.

     The group is looking for more members, and will met tonight at 6:30 at 
Collins' home.

     "International  Space  Exploration and Colonization Company:  Are  you 
keen?   Do you want to go?  Call Ray {907} 457-2674," an advertisement  for 
the meeting reads.

     Collins  and  the club plan to simulate space-living  by  building  an 
underground biosphere in Fairbanks around the year 2000.  Collins will live 
alone  for  a  year in the three-story dome, which will be  about  35  deep 
underground  at  its deepest depth and 40 feet at its  widest  point.   The 
bachelor said he isn't worried about being lonely.  He has gone two  months 
in the past without any human contact.

     "I  look forward to it actually, getting away from the rat  race,"  he 
said.

     Going  it  alone  runs in the Collins family.   His  younger  sisters, 
Julie and Miki Collins, are the "Trapline Twins", who live an isolated life 
trapping in the Bush.

     Collins, a "Star Trek" fan, said he has dreamed of space travel  since 
he was a boy.  The biosphere will be the first step toward that dream.

     The  dome, named "Nauvik"--an Eskimo word for "nurturing  place"--will 
operate  from electricity.  The plants that Collins will live off  will  be 
grown  under  fluorescent  and high-intensity  halogen  lights.   The  four 
African Tilapia fish that swim in Collins' fish tank now will move into the 
biosphere.  They and their offspring will also be eaten by Collins.

     "They're  very,  very efficient at turning food to  meat.   Every  one 
pound of food converts to six-tenths pound of meat.  One pound of food  for 
cows  converts to one tenth of a pound of meat, or less"  Collins  said  of 
his fish.

     The  spot  for the biosphere has been excavate in  Chena  Ridge.   The 
property was donated through a lease until the year 2010.

     The  biosphere carries about a $1 million price tag while the  company 
has  about a $5,000 balance in its savings account presently.

     But  Collins  isn't worried about the money.  He said  he  has  enough 
savings from local real estate ventures to fund the project if worse  comes 
to worst.

     "I've  got  enough money to pay for it if I want to.  I hope  I  don't 
have to, but I will," he said.

     Since Collins isn't worried about being lonely or raising enough money 
to  live  in  the  biosphere for a year, what  does  concern  him?   "Micro 
nutrients for the plants," he said.

     In  a  sealed  off environment like a biosphere, keeping  all  of  the 
nutrient balanced is a challenge, said Collins.  Plants, animals and living 
objects will all contribute to the biosphere's chemical balance.  If  there 
is  too  much or too little of a necessary nutrient, Collins will  have  to 
find a way to compensate.

    To  learn  that,  Collins  and  the  space  club  are  practicing  with 
grapevines, kiwi plants, orange trees and other plants they plan to put  in 
the biosphere.

     For  now  most  of the plants are grown in  Collins'  basement.   This 
summer  the  space company plans to build a greenhouse to  conduct  further 
experiments.
 
ON  OTHER  MATTERS:

     We  have  finished  our 1993 annual newsletter.  What  follows  is  an 
extract of it.  Enjoy!
 
 International   Space  Exploration  and  Colonization   Company
                           I.S.E.C.Co.
 P.O. Box 60885                                Annual Newsletter
 Fairbanks, Ak. 99706                          Issue #6: 1993
 (907)457-2674                                 February 15, 1994

                      Comments and Credits

     This is the International Space Exploration and Colonization 
Company's  sixth  annual newsletter.  ISECCo is a  certified  501 
(c)(3) non-profit organization, incorporated in Alaska.  We are a 
co-operative devoted to space oriented research and development.
     To  subscribe to this newsletter a minimum  contribution  of 
$10 every 5 years is required.  Back issues #1-5 may be  obtained 
by  sending  $12  with a large (9"x12")  self  addressed  stamped 
($2.00)  envelope  (SASE).  Our newsletters may also be  sent  to 
members  of  ISECCo who contributed significant amounts  of  time 
and/or  money,  organizations doing research  in  related  areas, 
libraries and other institutions which ISECCo feels would benefit 
from  our information.  This particular newsletter  is  available 
for  general  distribution,  and may be  obtained  by  sending  a 
business-sized SASE to us at the above address.
     Except  as  noted  this newsletter was  written  by  Ray  R. 
Collins.   Other people who contributed to its  writing,  editing 
and  distribution  are: Debi Wilkinson, Elisa Ballou,  and  Kraig 
Smyth;   ISECCo extends its thanks to their generous donation  of 
time to this effort.
     To become an ISECCo member write to the address above for an 
information   package  and  membership  form,  or  complete   the 
membership form at the end of this newsletter.
     Although this newsletter is copyrighted by ISECCo, it may be 
republished   in  whole  or  in  part  with  the  two   following 
conditions:   a)   that  ISECCo credits are  noted  and  b)  when 
quoting more than a paragraph written permission is obtained.  To 
obtain permission send a SASE along with the extractions you wish 
to  quote,  the context in which it will be  published,  and  the 
publication's name.

                            CONTENTS:

Comments and Credits                    Page 1,  Column 1
Contents                                Page 1,  Column 1
Overview                                Page 1,  Column 1
Treasury Report                         Page 1,  Column 2
The President Goes Wandering            Page 2,  Column 1
Greenhouse                              Page 2,  Column 2
1993 Meeting Notices                    Page 3,  Column 2
Minutes of the Director's Meeting       Page 3,  Column 1
Notice of Meeting of Members            Page 4,  Column 1
General Information for ISECCo          Page 5
Nauvik                                  Page 6
Our new Membership Form                 Page 7


                           Overview

     1993 was a different kind of year for ISECCo.  In some  ways 
it  was  a quiet year; in others we saw a  major  advancement  in 
Nauvik  (our Closed Ecological Life Support System).  Our  garden 
was not as developed as usual (though we did have one);  meetings 
were few and far between in the last half of the year and  little 
was  accomplished  on  the newsletter.  Our emphasis  was  in  an 
entirely different direction: we completely overhauled our forms; 
got  a  great  deal more involved in computer  networks  and  our 
president  took a major tour of the country visiting many of  the 
places that are doing work on closed ecological systems.
     The  tour is the main feature of this newsletter.  Since  we 
overhauled our forms we have also included all our revised forms.  
We would appreciate it if you would take the time to review  them 
and  send us your comments.  Our computer information system  was 
overhauled  &  upgraded.  Any of you who have a  computer  system 
which will support it we'd very much like to put our  information 
files  on it.  
     I  hope you enjoy the newsletter.  Please feel free to  send  
any comments or suggestions you may have.

     We  are  offering this particular newsletter for  public  consumption.  
Therefore  we  are  soliciting names & addresses of  anyone  interested  in 
space.   If you want one just send us a note with your postal  address  and 
we'll send you a complimentary copy!
 
     If you want more information about ISECCo feel free to send me a note!   
Please  include a postal  mailing  address/phone  number for   all  initial 
correspondence--we   occasionally   have  letters  whose  computer   return  
address fails for one reason or another. 
 
                                       --Ray :: President, ISECCo
 
      :::The International Space Exploration and Colonization Company:::
               :::P.O. Box 60885::Fairbanks::Alaska::99706:::
                           [email protected]
                        Researching  and  Developing
                    space oriented  technology  for  the 
                           betterment of mankind.
     *     *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *     *     *    {end}

% ====== Internet headers and postmarks (see DECWRL::GATEWAY.DOC) ======
% Date: Wed, 23 Feb 1994 12:46:14 -0900
% From: [email protected]
% Subject: ISECCo Update: Front Page News

Article: 5608
From: [email protected] (Reuters)
Newsgroups: clari.local.arizona,clari.tw.science,clari.tw.environment
Subject: Biosphere 2 to Get Second Crew
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 94 9:10:17 PST
 
	 ORACLE, Ariz (Reuter) - Biosphere 2, the ambitious but
controversial experiment to build a prototype Martian colony, will
receive its second crew of bionauts Sunday. 

	 The 7.2-million-cubic-ft enclosure of glass domes in the
foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains 40 miles  north of Tucson
has been described as the world's largest test tube. It will be home
to seven biospherians for the next 10 months. 

	 But unlike the first crew, they will not be alone. They will
be joined by visiting scientists and a physician who will make
periodic ``house calls.'' 

	 Dr Harvey Meislin, a professor at the University of Arizona
Health Sciences Center, will visit the biosphere at three-monthly
intervals to carry out medical examinations. 

	 The first crew of eight bionauts emerged from the biosphere
September 26 after two years in the building. 

	 During the five-month transition period, scientists have
examined thousands of plants, animals, birds, fish and insects in the
biosphere, and have introduced new species. 

	 They have also taken measures to control an unwanted population 
of critters that thrived in the enclosed system -- cockroaches. 

	 Chris Helms, a spokesman for Space Biosphere Ventures, the
private company that built and operates Biosphere 2, said 40 geckos
and 50 toads had been placed in the dome to eat the roaches. 

	 The project is the brainchild of environmental guru John
Allen, an American who has founded several communes as well as an
environmental foundation based in London and a so-called 
''environmentally friendly'' conference center in Katmandu, Nepal. 

	 It cost approximately $250 million to build and was funded by
Texas tycoon Edward Bass, a reclusive figure who lives in Ft Worth. 

	 The second crew, like the first, has an international flavor.

	 The new bionauts are John Druitt, 39, from England; Rodrigo
del Valle, 24, from Mexico; Matthew Finn, 35, of Washington; Charlotte
Godfrey, 22, from Tucson; Tilak Mahato, 30, from Nepal; Pascale
Maslin, 34, from Australia; and Aleksandra Panov, 28, from Yugoslavia.

	 They will be joined for the first 120 days by Norberto
Alvarez-Romo, from Mexico, the project's director of cybernetic
systems, who will act as the biosphere's first visiting manager. 

	 The ambitious experiment, however, that aims to prove a self
sufficient enclosed ecosystem could support space colonies on planets
such as Mars, is not without its critics. 

	 Some ecology experts have described it as amateurish and
others have accused Space Biosphere Ventures of engaging in
pseudo-scientific research to make money from a gullible public. 

	 Visitors are charged admission to the site, where they can
peer into the glass domes and watch the bionauts at work. The site
also has a hotel, gift shop and restaurant. 

	 Biosphere officials say the criticism is unfounded, pointing
out they have already proved humans can sustain themselves in an
enclosed environment as they would have to do in a hostile atmosphere
like that of Mars. 

	 Unlike Mars, however, in an emergency, the bionauts would
simply have to step outside and breathe Earth's natural air. 

Article: 5629
From: [email protected] (Reuter/Jim Erickson)
Newsgroups: clari.local.arizona,clari.news.top,clari.tw.environment
Subject: Crew of Seven Sealed inside Biosphere 2 ``Test Tube''
Date: Sun, 6 Mar 94 12:31:02 PST
 
	 ORACLE, Ariz (Reuter) - A new international crew of
scientists was sealed inside the glass domes of Biosphere 2 Sunday in
the second phase of a controversial experiment that has been billed as
the prototype for a colony on Mars. 

	 The seven ``Biosphereans,'' clad in khaki-colored uniforms
and looking more like they were off on safari than undertaking a
scientific mission, filed into the airlock of the three-acre complex
in the Arizona desert as several hundred onlookers cheered. 

	 Biosphere 2 -- a private venture promoted by its creators as
a self-sustaining eco-system but dismissed by some critics as
``pseudo-science'' -- will be home to the most of the new crew members
for up to a year. 

	 But unlike the first crew, they will not be alone. The five
men and two women, all single, will be joined periodically by visiting
researchers and a physician who will make ``house calls.'' 

	 In a ``closure'' ceremony filled with New Age-sounding
pronouncements, Texas billionaire Edward Bass, who has bankrolled the
$150 million project, declared that the mission of Biosphere 2 was
``to make a difference'' in the pioneering of futuristic applications
in ecology. 

	 Biosphere 2's first experiment ended last September when four
men and four women clad in Star Trek-style jumpsuits emerged after two
years of tending the giant greenhouse, which holds a miniature farm,
rain forest, marsh, ocean and desert. 

	 In the last five months, scientists have examined thousands
of plants, animals and insects inside the metal-and-glass domes, which
lie about 40 miles north of Tucson. 

	 Measures have also been taken to control unwanted guests who
plagued the last group of human inhabitants -- cockroaches. Geckos and
toads have been placed inside to eat the bugs. 

	 The new crew can still expect some hardships. Their
predecessors came out looking gaunt -- they had lost an average of 14
percent of their body weight -- and spoke of cravings for hamburgers,
milk shakes and Scotch whiskey. 

	 Some said tensions -- and even feuds -- developed among the
inhabitants, but they were tight-lipped about any romances that might
have been kindled beneath the domes. 

	 From now on, organizers say, Biosphere 2 will be continously
inhabited by by rotating crews.

	 Biosphere 2 was designed to study the Earth -- or Biosphere
1, as project organizers call it -- and build a self-sufficient ``test
tube'' world that could serve as a prototype for colonies on Mars and
others planets. 

	 But some critics have accused Space Biosphere Ventures -- the
company that runs the project -- of hucksterism, scientific amateurism
and outright deception. 

	 During the first crew's stay, fresh air was pumped into the
domes when the crew showed signs of oxygen deprivation. 

	 The crew ended up producing just 80 percent of their food and
had to dig into stores stockpiled inside. One Biospherean left for
finger surgery and returned with a bag filled with supplies. 

	 Some practices -- such as building a hotel and gift shop and
charging admission to peer inside -- made the project look as much
like a theme park as a scientific experiment. 

	 But Biosphere officials and some outside scientists say it
has succeeded in proving that humans can sustain themselves for long
periods in a sealed environment. During Sunday's ceremony, author
Stephen J. Gould, noted Harvard zoologist, called Biosphere 2 ``a
magnificent scientific tool.'' 

	 The new crew is made up of: forestry expert John Druitt, 39,
from Britain; chemical engineer Rodrigo del Valle, 24, from Mexico;
Matthew Finn, 35, from Washington; gardener Charlotte Godfrey, 22, of
Tucson; horticulturist Tilak Mahato, 30, of Nepal; engineer Pascale
Maslin, 34, from Australia; and Norberto Alvarez-Romo, from Mexico,
the project's director of cybernetic systems, which deals with the
relationship between people and machines. 

Article: 5246
From: [email protected] (AP)
Newsgroups: clari.local.arizona,clari.tw.science
Subject: New Biosphere 2 Starts Ops
Date: Fri, 4 Mar 94 18:30:09 PST
 
	ORACLE, Ariz. (AP) -- On Sunday, Biosphere 2 embarks on what
its operators hope will be the start of 98 years of continuous
habitation in the domed ecological laboratory -- and the recovery of
its image as serious science. 

	Nearly six months after the first eight-person crew ended a
two-year stay inside the lab, the project has been redesigned.

	Now, a crew of five men and two women will rotate in and out
of the 3-acre glass-and-steel bubble and its 10 apartments. The private, 
for-profit project is supposed to run like a remote research station. 

	Space Biospheres Ventures, based here 35 miles northeast of
Tucson, operates the $150 million experiment paid for largely by
Texas billionaire Edward Bass.

	It was designed to last 100 years as a self-sustaining
laboratory replicating Earth's environment with a rain forest,
ocean, savannah, desert-turned-chaparral, marsh and farm.

	Before, the chief goals were developing technology for an
Earth-like environment in space and finding ways to solve Earth's
ecological problems. Now technology for Earth is primary.

	Norberto Alvarez-Romo, the company's vice president in charge of
mission control, compared the first two years to ``a shakedown
cruise away from a port.''

	He'll be in Biosphere 2 for four months working on paperless
communication systems, joining six others who will stay for various
shifts of 10 months to more than a year.

	When Alvarez-Romo leaves he'll be replaced by independent
scientists working on other projects for up to two months. Later
others, including teachers, will be allowed in for short stays.

	After the project began Sept. 26, 1991, Biosphere 2 lost
credibility with the public and the scientific community because of
various mishaps.

	Claims about its self-sufficiency were deflated as crops failed
and food was supplemented with previously stored crops and seed.
Oxygen was pumped in to sustain the crew.

	One crew member went out for finger surgery, and prominent
scientists on its advisory panel quit.

	Since the first crew left Sept. 26, several mechanical systems
have been improved.

	Among other things, high-pressure sodium lamps were installed
over the farm to boost winter crop yield and 40 geckos and 50 toads
were brought in to eat the cockroaches.

Article: 5305
From: [email protected] (AP)
Newsgroups: clari.local.arizona,clari.tw.misc,clari.tw.science
Subject: 5 Biosphere Officers Removed
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 94 19:30:05 PST
 
	PHOENIX (AP) -- The president and five other senior officers of
the company that operates Biosphere 2 were ousted Friday by the
environmental experiment's financial backer, Texas billionaire
Edward P. Bass.
	Bass said in court papers he was unhappy with the venture's
financial practices but couldn't get the officers to restructure
their management practices to his satisfaction.
	He said in a news release issued Friday by Space Biospheres
Ventures that he remains committed to continuing Biosphere 2 and
believes it will prosper under restructuring. He declined to
comment beyond the news release.
	Space Biospheres Ventures spokesman Chris Helms said the six
officers remain on the payroll but were relieved of their duties
pending a federal court hearing in Texas expected to be held in the
next 10 days.
	Helms said four of the officers were on vacation and he did not
know when they would be told of their changed status. He wouldn't
reveal the whereabouts of the other two.
	Seven people are currently living under Biosphere's sealed
glass-and-metal dome for varying lengths of time, none more than a
year. Their stays won't be interrupted, Space Biospheres said.
	The 3-acre artificial environment, touted as a potential space
colony prototype, is located in Oracle, about 35 miles north of Tucson.
	Helms said the officers relieved of their duties were Margret
Augustine, chief executive officer; John Allen, vice president for
biospherics; Mark Nelson, director of environmental and space
applications; Marie Harding, vice president for finance; Deborah
Snyder, director of publications; and Kathelin Gray, a member of
the company's board of directors.
	A temporary restraining order obtained Thursday from U.S.
District Court in Fort Worth, Texas, bars the ousted officers from
any further management role in the project, the Space Biospheres
release said.
	The order was obtained through a filing dissolving the
partnership between Decisions Team Inc., which manages Space
Biospheres Ventures, and Bass' Decisions Investment Corp. of Fort Worth.
	Bass, chairman of Space Biospheres and owner of Decisions
Investment, said in an affidavit he tried unsuccessfully to
reorganize management in October, questioning its financial practices.
	``The persons who control (Decisions Team) have refused to
cooperate on restructuring, despite protracted discussions and the
development of necessary legal documentation to permit the current
stockholders and officers to continue a substantial role in the
ongoing project,'' Bass said in the affidavit.
	A temporary receiver, Martin C. Bowen, took control of Decisions
Team on Friday, Space Biospheres said. Helms described Bowen as a
long-time associate of Bass.
	The Biosphere dome's first experiment involved a crew of eight
people who spent two years inside, beginning in 1991.
	The project drew criticism for its belated acknowledgement that
oxygen was pumped into the dome and some equipment was brought in
after the experiment began.
	Two members of the original crew filed a lawsuit earlier this
month demanding back pay and $10,000 in bonuses they said they were
promised but never paid.

Article: 5309
From: [email protected] (Reuters)
Newsgroups: clari.local.arizona,clari.news.law.police,clari.tw.science
Subject: Biosphere Experiment Seized by Marshals
Date: Sat, 2 Apr 94 10:30:06 PST
 
	 ORACLE, Ariz (Reuter) - Biosphere 2, the project in the
Arizona desert aimed at developing a way to survive on Mars, was
under the control of a court appointed receiver Saturday after
being seized by off-duty federal marshals.
	 Chris Helms, the project's director of public affairs, said
the marshals, acting on behalf of Texas oil billionaire Edward
Bass, the main investor in the enterprise, seized the buildings
Friday after Bass had obtained a court order.
	 The seizure did not affect the day-to-day operation of the
facility, described as the world's largest test tube, where a
team of scientists is at work in the surrogate planet. The
project's main commercial enterprise -- providing tours for
visitors at $12.95 per adult -- was continuing.
	 Some 220,000 people visited the biosphere in 1993.
	 In a written statement issued by his office, Bass said, ``I
am firmly committed to the ongoing progress of Biosphere 2 and
to the developing science biospherics.
	 ``I am convinced that Biosphere 2 will continue to build on
its previous achievements once the management reorganization and
financial restructuring are complete.''
	 The statement did not give a reason for Bass' actions, but
he has previously said it was time the project, which cost $150
million, started making a profit.
	 He received a temporary restraining order Friday from the
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
	 Bass is the senior partner in Space Biosphere Ventures, the
commercial company that runs Biosphere 2.
	 The 7.2-million-cubic-foot enclosure of glass domes in the
foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains 40 miles north of
Tucson, has been the subject of controversy since it began
operations in 1991 when a team of eight ``biospherians'' began a
yearlong experiment to prove that man can live outside Earth's
atmosphere.
	 Their surrogate planet contained crops, farm animals,
insects, a rain forest, an ocean complete with fish and a desert.
	 Some experts claimed the experiment was not scientifically
valid, and even though the biospherians completed their 12
months, living in an atmosphere where oxygen and nitrogen were
supplied by the plants and waste matter, the doubts prevailed.
	 Helms said the arrival of the marshals Friday ``came out of
the blue. We didn't have single hint that this was going to happen.''
	 Helms said two of the displaced senior management team, Mark
Nelson, one of the original biospherians and the director of
environmental and space applications, and Marie Harding, vice
president in charge of finance, were at their desks when the
marshals arrived.
	 ``They just had to get up and leave,'' he said.
	 Martin Bowen, a court appointed receiver, was now running
the project, Helms added.
	 Helms stressed that despite the sudden and unexpected move
by Bass, it was ``business as usual,'' at Biosphere 2. ``This is
a management dispute. It does not affect the day to day
activities of Biosphere 2,'' he said.
	 Space Biosphere Ventures also has 12 patents resulting from 
experiments carried out in Biosphere 2 and this month started selling 
the ``Airtron,'' a device selling for $300 which looks like a house 
plant and traps and digests toxic air pollutants in the home.

Article: 5310
From: [email protected] (AP)
Newsgroups: clari.local.arizona,clari.tw.science
Subject: Biosphere 2 Shakeup Analyzed
Date: Sun, 3 Apr 94 10:30:06 PDT
 
	TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- The shakeup of Biosphere 2's top management
culminates years of discontent and private recommendations that such a 
purging was needed for the sake of the project's scientific credibility.
	On Friday, Texas billionaire Edward P. Bass, the financier
behind the experimental $150 million ecological project, took court
action to remove the president of the company operating Biosphere 2
and five other senior officials. He accused them of financial
mismanagement and a lack of cooperation.
	Dr. Roy Walford, a member of the crew that spent two years
inside the sealed glass-and-steel structure, said Saturday the
project needed real scientific management ``and not these
amateurs.'' He said they were running the project as ``a
militaristic organization -- hierarchical and authoritarian -- and
not really attuned to the nature of science.''
	Chris Helms, a spokesman for Space Biospheres Ventures, which
operates Biosphere 2, said everything was business as usual a day
after U.S. marshals served a temporary restraining order to impose
the shakeup.
	``We have been meeting today with the new manageament team and I
believe they have a good handle for what needs to be done,'' he said.
	Papers filed in a Texas federal court indicated that officers
had been unwilling to restructure their management practices to
Bass' satisfaction.
	Several others formerly tied to the project, speaking on
condition of anonymity, also hailed the action as the best move possible.
	``I think Ed Bass is to be congratulated for reclaiming the
project for its original aims and ideals,'' said one. That person
said there had been rumblings since last fall that Margret
Augustine, president and chief executive officer of Space
Biospheres Ventures, was on her way out.
	The order temporarily barred Augustine; John Allen, vice
president for biospherics; Mark Nelson, director of environmental
and space applications; Marie Harding, vice president for finance;
Kathelin Gray, a member of the SBV board of directors, and Deborah
Snyder, director of publications, from any further management role.
	Four of them, including Augustine and Allen, were on vacation,
Helms said.
	Martin C. Bowen was named temporary receiver of Space
Biospheres. A hearing on Bass' action was scheduled for Thursday in
Fort Worth.
	Some who severed ties to the project had urged Bass privately to
change top management because of public relations problems.
Controversies included allegations Allen founded a cult at a New
Mexico commune in the early 1970s.
	Biosphere 2, built in the desert 35 miles northeast of Tucson,
was designed as a working laboratory model of the Earth's environment 
in a closed system as a possible prototype for space colonization.
	Walford and seven other researchers exited the enclosure Sept.
26, after a two-year stay punctuated by surprises, criticism and
some failures.
	The system originally was billed as being totally
self-sufficient. But oxygen was pumped in at least twice.
	Several prominent scientists on an outside scientific advisory
panel -- including Thomas Lovejoy of the Smithsonian Institution --
quit because of differences with Augustine and Allen.
	``We were not supposed to have any telephone calls with the
scientific advisory committee without going through mission control
and getting permission,'' Walford said.
	A new crew of seven has been living inside the three-acre
structure since March 6. They are scheduled to stay for staggered
time periods, with others to replace them without a formal end to
the mission. The crew raises its own food, and recycles air, water
and wastes.

Article: 5311
From: [email protected] (AP)
Newsgroups: clari.local.arizona,clari.tw.science,clari.news.law.crime
Subject: Sabotage Reported At Biosphere
Date: Mon, 4 Apr 94 12:20:08 PDT
 
	ORACLE, Ariz. (AP) -- Managers of Biosphere 2 Monday accused two
people who once lived inside the self-contained environmental
experiment of breaking in and damaging seals that exclude outside
air, officials said.
	The break-in came two days after the Biosphere's main backer,
Texas billionaire Edward P. Bass, got a federal judge to oust the
project's top managers over allegations of financial and scientific
mismanagement.
	Managers of the $150 million ecological project in the desert 35
miles northeast of Tucson refused to release details of the
break-in. But they told a Pinal County sheriff's detective that
seals had been broken and the project had been ``contaminated''
with outside air, said sheriff's spokeswoman Belia Fessenden.
	Seven people are living inside the three-acre glass dome, sealed
from the outside world in an attempt to operate a self-sustaining
environment by recycling air, water and wastes.
	Biosphere officials told the detectives that former Biosphere
crew members Abigail Alling and Mark Van Thillo called to take
responsibility, Fessenden said.
	``From what I understand they entered the secured area, broke
seals, opened doors.'' Fessenden said. Also damaged, she said, were
``glass valves'' known as lungs that are designed to keep air
pressure stable inside the dome.
	While it wasn't proven the pair was responsible, Fessenden said
it is clear the damage was done from inside the dome.
	Sheriff's detectives were looking for Alling and Van Thillo, she
said.
	Biosphere officials refused to elaborate on a brief news release
that said there had been an early morning ``act of sabotage
intended to terminate the atmospheric integrity'' of the dome. It
said there had been no significant damage to the technical systems
or the structure or injury to the crew.
	Four of the original crew of eight have left the project, but as
of last week, officials said Alling and Van Thillo remained on the payroll.
	A federal judge in Texas named a receiver to run the project for
Bass, but Fessenden didn't know which faction in management the
detective was dealing with.
	Alling and Van Thillo were among a crew of four men and four
women who emerged from the dome Sept. 26, 1993, after a two-year
stay punctuated by controversy over the management's belated
acknowledgement of several setbacks.
	Bass, who has had ties to some of the project's top managers
since their days on a theater-oriented New Mexico commune in the
1970s, got a federal court order barring Margret Augustine,
president and chief executive officer of Space Biospheres Ventures,
from the project.
	Also barred were John Allen, a vice president, and three others.
The project continued to operate and to run tours over the weekend.
	The seven people inside the dome are there for stays of varying
lengths, none over a year, under a new policy recommended by a
panel of outside scientific advisers that clashed with Augustine
and Allen. The current plan calls for allowing scientists in for
short stays to do research.

Article: 5316
From: [email protected] (Reuters)
Newsgroups: clari.local.arizona,clari.news.law.police,clari.tw.science
Subject: Former Biosphere Crew Members Suspected of Sabotage
Date: Mon, 4 Apr 94 15:40:11 PDT
 
	 ORACLE, Ariz, (Reuter) - Following an early morning attempt
to sabotage Biosphere 2, the controversial project trying to
develop a way to survive on Mars, police Monday said they wanted
to interview two former crew members about the attack.
	 Pinal County Sheriff spokeswoman Delia Sessenden said
Abigail Alling and Mark Van Thillo were suspected of breaking
seals on the airtight door of the complex that houses the experiment.
	 ``The seals were broken and the project was contaminated
with outside air,'' Sessenden said.
	 Sessenden said a woman identifying herself as Alling called
the biosphere shortly after the sabotage occurred and said that
she and Van Thillo were responsible.
	 Alling and Van Thillo were members of the first Biosphere 2
crew that spent two years sealed off from the outside world in
the giant glass and steel complex in the Arizona desert.
	 Biosphere 2, which has been called the world's largest test
tube, is a complex of interconnecting geodesic domes in the
Arizona desert 30 miles from Tucson, designed to support life
outside Earth's atmosphere.
	 Chris Helms, director of public affairs for the project,
said there had been minimal physical damage from the sabotage attempt.
	 ``The project is continuing and the crew are okay,'' he said.
	 Seven people entered Biosphere 2 last month to begin a
10-month stint in the complex.
	 The sabotage attempt followed a move Friday by Texas Oil
billionaire Edward Bass, the main investor in the $150 million
experiment, to gain sole control of it.
	 He received a temporary restraining order Friday from the
federal court in Texas against the senior management of Space
Biosphere Ventures, the company running the project.
	 Shortly after, marshals seized the complex and offices. A
court appointed receiver is running the company
	 Alling and Van Thillo were followers of environmental guru
John Allen and Space Biosphere Ventures president Margret
Augustine, who were both ousted from office by Bass' actions.
	 Bass, Allen and Augustine founded Space Biosphere Ventures
in the early 1970s.
	 Alling, 34, a graduate of Vermont's Middlebury College and
Yale University, was the co-captain of the original crew of
eight who entered the biosphere in September, 1991, and emerged
two years later, having established a world record for existing
in a totally closed environment.
	 Van Thillo, 33, from Antwerp, Belgium who is a graduate from
the Don Bosco Technical Institute there, was in charge of
electrical systems in the biosphere.

Article: 5319
From: [email protected] (AP)
Newsgroups: clari.local.arizona,clari.tw.misc,clari.tw.science
Subject: Biosphere Sabotage Denied
Date: Tue, 5 Apr 94 2:10:17 PDT
 
	ORACLE, Ariz. (AP) -- A former Biosphere 2 crew member accused of
sabotaging the self-contained glass-and-steel dome says she broke
windows and opened doors to ``flush'' the air for the safety of the
volunteers inside.
	``It is categorically not sabotage,'' Abigail Alling told the
Los Angeles Times on Monday in a telephone call from an undisclosed
location in Arizona. ``The Biosphere experiment was terminated this
morning out of concern for the safety of the Biospherians and the system.''
	Alling called Biosphere officials early Monday and said she and
another former crew member, Mark Van Thillo, had let in outside air, the 
Sheriff's Department said. Sheriff's deputies searched for the two.
	Biosphere officials and the Sheriff's Department gave no motive
for the sabotage, but Alling and Van Thillo had been suspended
three days earlier in a management shakeup.
	Beginning in 1991, Alling and Van Thillo spent two years trying
to prove they could survive in the three-acre, $150 million dome.
Biosphere is supposed to be a self-sufficient world in which air,
water and waste are recycled.
	The crew's stay was clouded by disclosures that air purifiers
had to be installed and oxygen injected because oxygen losses and
rising levels of carbon dioxide had caused members of the crew to
become sick.
	Another crew of volunteers was sealed inside on March 6.
	On Monday, four of Biosphere's five doors to the outside were
opened, and five panes of glass were broken in the ``lungs,'' huge,
rubber-like diaphragms that bulge in and out and equalize air
pressure inside the dome.
	Outside air rushed in for about 15 minutes, not long enough to
spoil research by the current crew of seven people, research
director Jack Corliss said.
	``We can very easily quantify how much air was let in and
proceed with the experiment,'' he said.
	Late last week, Biosphere's main backer, Texas billionaire Ed
Bass, had suspended Alling and Van Thillo. He also suspended four
project managers for alleged financial mismanagement. Bass had no
comment on the break-in.
	Alling, a marine biologist from New York who went scuba diving
in the project's miniature ocean, and Van Thillo, a Belgian
scientist who ran most of the life-support equipment, were among
eight people sealed inside in 1991.
	Biosphere's present crew isn't sealed in for a set period like
the first. Instead, crew members spend various periods inside, none
more than a year, while outside scientists are allowed to enter for
short stays to do research.

Article: 5401
From: [email protected] (AP)
Newsgroups: clari.local.arizona,clari.tw.science
Subject: Specialists Entering Biosphere
Date: Tue, 10 May 94 21:10:09 PDT
 
	ORACLE, Ariz. (AP) -- Biosphere 2, which caught the public eye
because its inhabitants volunteered to shut themselves off from the
world, will be swarming with outside scientists Wednesday.

	Operators of the troubled project announced Tuesday they are
sending 31 specialists into the 3 1/2-acre glass dome to assess the
system and suggest changes to turn Biosphere's focus from
survivalism to science.

	All but three are to leave by Wednesday night, and by the end of
two weeks the current seven crew members will have the dome mostly
to themselves once again.

	The changes the specialists suggest might include importing food
-- forbidden in the Biosphere's much-publicized two-year shakedown --
so the seven current inhabitants can experiment with different crops.

	``It's quite possible that we will have to consider
supplementing the diet when we go this experimental approach,''
said Mark Bierner. But that won't mean pizzas and steaks delivered
at the door or even homegrown hamburgers.

	``Having beef cattle in Biosphere 2, I don't think is something
that we're going to think a whole lot about,'' Bierner added.

	The assessment is the latest change ordered since management of
Biosphere was taken over by a court-appointed receiver representing
the $150 million project's financial backer, Texas billionaire Ed Bass.

	On March 31, receiver Martin Bowen kicked out a team that had
run the project since it was conceived on a New Mexico commune in
the mid-1970s, alleging financial mismanagement.

	The old management team was often accused of trying to hide bad
news from the media. Some members of the original crew that lived
in the dome for two years also said managers insisted the project
be self-sufficient even though it meant the crew spent months
hungry and breathing oxygen-depleted air.

	The current crew entered the giant terrarium 35 miles north of
Tucson on March 6 planning to stay until early next year.

	Research director Jack Corliss said the infusion of outside
experts is part of a move to focus the project on research and
education. The dome was conceived as a prototype space colony and
laboratory to study the planet Earth's environment.