Interstellar Lab’s BioPods May Be Key to Life on Mars—and Earth

New developments in biosphere technology highlight the interconnectivity of space exploration and sustainable living on Earth.

The BioPod boasts sustainable agricultural solutions for space and Earth. (Image courtesy of Interstellar Lab.)

The BioPod boasts sustainable agricultural solutions for space and Earth. (Image courtesy of Interstellar Lab.)

Slowly but surely, our planet’s ability to sustain humanity is being constrained. Whether it’s pollution, soaring temperatures, food and water shortages, or meeting the gargantuan energy requirements of the 7.67 billion people alive today, we’re rendering the only known hospitable planet in the cosmos inhospitable to our continued survival.

Interstellar Lab is a clean-tech company that is developing modules called BioPods for sustainable living on Earth and in space. Earlier this year, it announced the development of self-sufficient, space-grade modules designed to house various plants, fruits and vegetables. These versatile structures offer life-sustaining solutions for not only NASA’s space exploration missions but also ravaged Earth.

Barbara Belvisi, CEO of Interstellar Lab explains the importance of biodomes.

“The goal of our company is to design regenerative habitats for any planet,” explained Barbara Belvisi, CEO of Interstellar Lab. “So, it’s a first for Mars, but it’s also a first for Earth. In the coming 10 years, we’re going to build different stations on this planet where we can regenerate things—produce food, recycle water, recycle waste—in a completely closed-loop system.”

Using 3DEXPERIENCE to Create a Digital Twin

The BioPod measures 32.8 ft x 19.7 ft x 14.8 ft. (Image courtesy of Interstellar Lab.)

The BioPod measures 32.8 ft x 19.7 ft x 14.8 ft. (Image courtesy of Interstellar Lab.)

The BioPod is designed to be a space-worthy, self-monitoring module that uses aeroponics to grow up to 300 different kinds of plants in space. An AI-powered control center uses predictive monitoring to maintain temperature, pressure, humidity, oxygen, carbon dioxide and brightness levels that are most conducive to plant growth. The BioPod also has water- and air-recycling capabilities.

Aeroponics is a form of agriculture in which plant roots are routinely sprayed with nutrient-enriched mist. Though they both employ nutrient-enriched water, aeroponics is different from hydroponics because the plants are suspended in the air, granting them more exposure to oxygen over time. (Image courtesy of Urban Vine.)

Aeroponics is a form of agriculture in which plant roots are routinely sprayed with nutrient-enriched mist. Though they both employ nutrient-enriched water, aeroponics is different from hydroponics because the plants are suspended in the air, granting them more exposure to oxygen over time. (Image courtesy of Urban Vine.)

As a space exploration solution, it is imperative that the module remains operational in some of the most unforgiving conditions imaginable, not limited to enduring extremely lengthy journeys, the vacuum of space, or –270oC temperatures. As such, Interstellar Lab requires a plethora of R&D, simulations and analysis to ensure optimal functionality.

Unfortunately, carrying out such simulations in real life is a costly, timely endeavor—even with NASA’s astronomical R&D budget. Interstellar Lab had to use Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE cloud-based platform to create a digital twin for its simulation and analysis purposes. The digital twin allowed Interstellar Lab to monitor its performance under various operational and environmental stresses.

“The 3DEXPERIENCE platform enables us to have the most efficient working processes and avoid reworking designs from scratch,” Belvisi said. “As we progress to the next stage, the platform’s program and project management capabilities will be invaluable to us for storing and retrieving design knowledge and managing the product lifecycle effectively.”

Gathering information via the digital twin also informed Interstellar Lab’s selection of the manufacturing techniques and materials for constructing the BioPod. As its goal was economic, robust and large-volume production, Interstellar Lab partnered with Soliquid, a large-scale additive manufacturing solutions company. By harnessing Soliquid’s low-cost, high-yield 3D printing technique, it was able to construct an inflatable, soft plastic membrane to form the structure’s outer shell. The shell is designed to be light-permeable while providing insulation against air/moisture leakage, microbes and pollutants.

Most importantly, through the digital twin, Belvisi and her team were able to standardize the growth conditions for the array of 300 different plants. In turn, these revelations have proven invaluable in understanding sustainable farming parameters on Earth as well. As climate change, water shortages, pollution and nutrient depletion in the soil decimate crops worldwide, BioPod’s agricultural solutions offer a recourse.

The BioPod boasts a modular design, i.e., it can be used as a stand-alone solution or as an interconnected assembly to house a larger community. There are four types of modules: the BioPod, which will house the plant life (top and left); the habitat, which will house people (right); a tunnel that allows transportation between the module and other structures, e.g., spacecraft (bottom); and a six-node connector (center). All modules will share an air-lock communication system, feature pressure, temperature and air quality control and have recycling capabilities for food, air and water. (Image courtesy of Interstellar Lab.)

The BioPod boasts a modular design, i.e., it can be used as a stand-alone solution or as an interconnected assembly to house a larger community. There are four types of modules: the BioPod, which will house the plant life (top and left); the habitat, which will house people (right); a tunnel that allows transportation between the module and other structures, e.g., spacecraft (bottom); and a six-node connector (center). All modules will share an air-lock communication system, feature pressure, temperature and air quality control and have recycling capabilities for food, air and water. (Image courtesy of Interstellar Lab.)

A Village of Biodomes

The BioPod is a part of Interstellar Lab’s Experimental Bioregenerative Stations (EBIOS) project that was initially launched in November 2019. EBIOS is a 70,000 m2 collection of five closed-loop environmentally controlled biodomes that Interstellar Lab plans to create for further research and experimentation into building space habitation centers. The facility features all the necessary technologies to guarantee human survival on other planets, including air and water treatment capabilities and pressure and temperature regulation. It’s also completely carbon neutral.

A render of the EBIOS. (Image courtesy of Interstellar Lab.)

A render of the EBIOS. (Image courtesy of Interstellar Lab.)

Three of EBIOS’ biodomes will be for housing people. Each housing biodome, called flower, will consist of a complex of four two-floor houses, petals, joined to a greenhouse. The greenhouse is AI-powered to produce various foods and regulate air quality. Each flower can house up to 35 people, which means that the EBIOS can house a maximum of 105 people.

Each EBIOS flower is 8400 m2 in size and comprised of five petals. Four of these petals are conjoined houses while the fifth is a 500 m2 greenhouse. (Image courtesy of Interstellar Lab.)

Each EBIOS flower is 8400 m2 in size and comprised of five petals. Four of these petals are conjoined houses while the fifth is a 500 m2 greenhouse. (Image courtesy of Interstellar Lab.)

At the heart of EBIOS is a 2000 m2 biodome called the constructed wetland. Inside, there are four water treatment tanks—settling tank, UV disinfection, activated carbon and total organic carbon (TOC). By marrying thermodynamics, aeroponics-based agriculture and smart environmental control parameters, Interstellar claims that the EBIOS can save 98 percent of its water.

“We can take blackwater, put that into the system using biology, hardware and software in an environmental control system, and then we get potable water,” Belvisi said. “This application is not only amazing for our ‘village’—and maybe in the future on Mars—but this has tremendous applications right now on Earth. I’m especially thinking of countries where the access to proper sewage systems is a problem. This might be able to save millions of lives. So, this is a very good example of how space exploration is helping us on Earth.”

(Image courtesy of Interstellar Lab.)

(Image courtesy of Interstellar Lab.)

Belvisi and her team are striving to open the first EBIOS in the Mojave Desert in 2021–2022 and remain in talks with NASA about space-based government research on the facility. She is also excited about opening EBIOS to the general public for weeklong visits. Not only would these visits help with funding—estimated costs for a week-long stay range between $3000–$6000—but she also believes they will help people experience the kind of sustainable, carbon-neutral lifestyle that can make our planet a better place for us all.

“One of the main reasons we’re doing Interstellar Lab is to try to bring as much hope for the future as possible to everybody,” said Belvisi. “It’s not only about building places where technology, nature and humans can live in harmony, but it’s also to try to make people more aware of how their actions influence the biosphere that we’re living in.”