Artificial Life
The mechanical infrastructure to create Biosphere 2 shows how difficult it is to replicate what the Earth naturally provides. A hydroponic chamber demonstrates how we might grow food on Mars, and looking out through the glass and scaffolding spark your imagination with what it might be like to live on the Red Planet. Underneath the biomes, hundreds of miles of pipes and ducts cycle water, air, and nutrients to support the plants above. A low tunnel takes you to one of the “lungs,” a massive diaphragm that stabilizes the internal air pressure as the desert sun heats the greenhouse. Even with all of this technology, the sealed missions struggled to sustain a breathable atmosphere and food supply.