Eight People Entered Biosphere 2
On September 26, 1991, eight participants began a two-year experiment inside the enclosed Biosphere 2 facility in Arizona.
On September 26, 1991, eight people entered Biosphere 2 in Arizona for a planned two-year stay. Inside the glass-enclosed facility, they would live and work as part of an experiment involving interconnected ecosystems.
A world inside glass
Biosphere 2 was designed to help researchers examine how people and living systems function within an enclosed environment. Its first mission turned that idea into a demanding, long-duration experiment.
Why it matters
The experiment drew attention to the connections between people, air, water, food and ecosystems. It also exposed how difficult those relationships are to reproduce and manage.