Possibility of creating a self sufficient space station or space craft?

Question

The biosphere and biosphere 2 project both failed. Partly due to human interaction problems but also the first time around there were oxygen issues. I don't know the specifics but I am thinking they had plenty of plants but maybe not enough humans to exhale enough carbon dioxide to match the plants or something? Or maybe they needed more plants? Either way a ship or station would need enough plants and the ability to produce proper light for the plants which would be no easy feat. I have to assume the energy would have to be solar based which means if the ship left the range of the sun they would run out of power. One thing is for certain the earth and sun will not last forever so in order for humans to perform deep space exploration we would need a 100% working hibernation system that can freeze all cell aging or a way of getting energy without needing the sun.

Answer 1

Actually, "Biosphere 2" was the first biosphere project. They called it #2 because #1 is the Earth itself.

I wouldn't worry about the sun running out. The best estimates have it dying 5 billion years from now. The average lifespan of a species in the fossil record is 10 million years, so humans will probably be long gone before the sun runs out.

The problem with the Biosphere project was not the oxygen, but rather the carbon dioxide that built up in the enviroment. With high CO2 levels the kinds of plants that flourish tend to be weeds, and the animals that do best are insects. It became difficult to sustain the biology within the dome.

They probably needed not only more plants but also more open water with plankton and algae. Open water makes up 75% of Earth's surface and a lot of the world's oxygen/CO2 exchange occurs there.

Answer 2

Yes, both Biosphere projects had problems, but it's an important step toward learning and eventually getting it right. And I'd rather we "got it right" here on earth before we tried to do it in space, where a mistake would mean life or death.

As for the solar energy, our sun is not the only one out there. Every star is a sun.

Also, hibernation would ease the tedium of traveling long distances, but another alternative would be to learn to travel faster. The closer you get to light speed, the slower time passes, and therefore, the less you age.

I think as long as we keep trying, we'll eventually get it right.

Just some thoughts.

Answer 3

There is method at this time of reliably and safely transporting humans through space. We have very fast robotic spacecraft that have been traveling through space for 30 years and they have just now left our solar system. They are only light hours away, not light years away like other solar systems. The Pluto horizons spacecraft is now the fastest, If humans were on board during launch they would have not survived.In order to travel interstellar space we humans will need to find another form of space travel. With current methods a trip to mars would be 6 months each way and would have to stay at mars for 1.5 years before starting the return trip. Doesn't sound like a trip I would like to try or have anyone else try. We just need to be patient and let technology find a better way.

Answer 4

Mir and the ISS do not. They have been/are unfastened-fall environments. Theoretically, if one had a large cylindrical or toroid area station station such as you notice in previous sic-fi, you're able to desire to simulate gravity by ability of spinning the station alongside an axis working in the process the middle of the cylinder/torus, ensuing in centrifugal effects pushing products to the outer part. to this factor, no area station has used this methodology, by using sheer length of the station which may well be required for this to be sensible (too small, and you will merely make people fairly, fairly nauseous to realize a small consequence).

Answer 5

Hi. Isn't that what the Earth is? We would probably take better care of it if we all thought this way.