Laboratory Biosphere
Advanced Life Support System
Experimental Chamber

The Laboratory Biosphere Experimental Chamber is a custom designed  cylindrical steel chamber, measuring 12 feet in diameter and 12 feet in length. The chamber has an internal capacity of 1200 cubic feet and is connected to a variable Volume Chamber (the "Lung") which, depending on temperature and humidity conditions within the total system, varies in volume between zero and 400 cubic feet. This gives a total volume for both chamber and lung together of between 1200 and 1600 cubic feet.

The Laboratory Biosphere was designed and built by a Biospheric Design, the Institute of Ecotechnics and the Biosphere Foundation. It is a highly sealed materially-closed system, designed to carry out cutting-edge experiments that will further our understanding of the engineering and science of Biospherics. In particular, the facility has been designed:

• to experiment with a sustainable soil-based agricultural system; 
• to study the biogeochemical cycling of elements such as Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and other trace elements;
• to test candidate food crop varieties and evaluate optimal lighting and other environmental growing conditions.

Laboratory Biosphere Specifications

Laboratory Biosphere Objectives

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