Space Analog for the Moon and Mars (SAM) is a hermetically sealed habitat located at the renowned University of Arizona Biosphere 2. SAM integrates the Biosphere 2 prototype Test Module greenhouse with an adjacent workshop, kitchen, common area and living quarters with support for 1-4 inhabitants from days to months. A CO2 scrubber built by Paragon SDC provides mechanical life support. An airlock leads to an adjacent half acre Mars yard where pressure suits, rovers, and drones can be tested. The greenhouse provides soil-based and hydroponic grow environments, controlled lighting, humidity, heating and cooling. The Mars yard will be modeled after a crater selected by NASA as the first human landing site. In addition the SAM Mars yard will include varied terrain and select obstacles, a massive synthetic lava tube with skylight for other-world cave exploration, and a gravity off-set rig to provide the experience of exploring on foot in lower gravitational fields.
- A greenhouse built from the historic Biosphere 2 Test Module
- A bermed 8’ x 8’ x 40’ crew quarters and massive 1/2 acre Mars yard
- A fully functional, pass-through airlock
- ECLSS support for crew of 4; from 5 days to several months stay
- Use of flow-through suits for simulation entry and exit, and full pressure suits for EVAs
- Simulated regolith (crushed basalt) grow beds and hydroponics
- Support for biology, ecology, robotics, human factors, and more …
- Support for dozens of simultaneous experiments
- Full interior climate control
- WiFi data delivery, remote monitoring and control
- On-site accommodations for support crew and equipped mission control center
- Access to adjacent biology lab to stabilize samples and conduct basic analysis
Full blog entries for habitat to spacesuits:
https://samb2.space/sam/
