In 1991, eight volunteers closed themselves in a giant glass structure in the middle of the Arizona desert for two years, trying to survive in a fully autonomous ecosystem. However, just a few months later, oxygen began to rapidly disappear in Biosphere 2, and scientists had to search for the cause of the mysterious failure. The solution surprised everyone.
In 1991, eight people sealed themselves in a hermetically sealed glass structure in the Arizona desert to live for two years in a completely isolated ecosystem. However, the oxygen in their "world" began to gradually disappear – and they had to pump it in from outside, writes Space Daily.
Biosphere 2 is a massive glass structure covering three acres near the town of Oracle in Arizona. Inside, five natural zones were arranged: a tropical rainforest, an ocean with a coral reef, a mangrove swamp, a savanna, and a desert. There was also a farming area where the crew grew their own food.
Inside lived eight people — four men and four women. They were supposed to live completely isolated from the outside world for two years, using only the resources of the closed system.
At first, the oxygen level was normal — about 21 percent. However, over time it began to decrease and eventually fell to 14 percent — roughly equivalent to an altitude of four kilometers above sea level. Participants complained of weakness, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
The main mystery was that oxygen was disappearing, but the carbon dioxide level was not rising as quickly as expected.
Later, scientists found that the reason lay in two factors. The soil inside the complex was saturated with microorganisms that actively consumed oxygen and released carbon dioxide. Meanwhile, the plants were unable to compensate for the losses.
The second unexpected reason was the concrete of the structure. During the curing process, it absorbed carbon dioxide, literally "trapping" it inside the walls.
As a result, scientists had to pump oxygen in from outside to avoid a health threat to the participants.
The first crew completed the two-year mission and left the complex in September 1993. The second expedition started in 1994 but lasted only six months due to conflicts and changes in project leadership.
Today, Biosphere 2 is owned by the University of Arizona and is used as a research center for ecological studies.
The Biosphere 2 experiment became one of the most unusual scientific projects of the late 20th century and demonstrated how difficult it is to create a completely closed ecosystem even on Earth. Despite the problems and unexpected mistakes, the project provided scientists with important knowledge about the interaction of the atmosphere, soil, plants, and humans — including for future space missions.
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