SINE

From what I know of U.S. space program, is hard to imagine anything more nerve-racking than 1970 when Apollo 13 lift off for moon but had explosion needing attention of on-board crew and of command center on ground to improvise how complete mission, and how retrieve astronauts alive. Is why movie about this very popular.

But this system easy compared to earth, because this system man-made.

Earth different. Biosphere give hint of earth increased complexity: other life forms added, external variables like weather uncontrollable. But only hint, because it, too, man-made. I read from their information:

Biosphere Challenges: - per Wikipedia retrieved and abridged 3/19/2019:

Among the problems and miscalculations encountered in the first Biosphere mission were unanticipated condensation making the "desert" too wet, population explosions of greenhouse ants and cockroaches, morning glories overgrowing the rainforest area, blocking out other plants and less sunlight (40–50% of outside light) entering the facility than originally anticipated. Biospherians intervened to control invasive plants when needed to preserve biodiversity, functioning as "keystone predators". In addition, construction itself was a challenge; for example, it was difficult to manipulate the bodies of water to have waves and tidal changes.^[50][51] Engineers came up with innovative solutions to supplement natural functions the Earth's biosphere normally performs, e.g. vacuum pumps to create gentle waves in the ocean without endangering marine biota, sophisticated heating and cooling systems. All the technology was selected to minimize outgassing and discharge of harmful substances which might damage Biosphere 2's life.^[52][53]

The oxygen inside the facility, which began at 20.9%, fell at a steady pace and after 16 months was down to 14.5%. This is equivalent to the oxygen availability at an elevation of 4,080 meters (13,400 ft).^[57] Since some biospherians were starting to have symptoms like sleep apnea and fatigue, Walford and the medical team decided to boost oxygen with injections in January and August 1993. The oxygen decline and minimal response of the crew indicated that changes in air pressure are what trigger human adaptation responses. These studies enhanced the biomedical research program.^[58]

Managing CO2 levels was a particular challenge….Daily fluctuation of carbon dioxide dynamics was typically 600 parts per million because of the strong drawdown during sunlight hours by plant photosynthesis, followed by a similar rise during the nighttime when system respiration dominated. As expected, there was also a strong seasonal signature to CO2 levels, with wintertime levels as high as 4,000–4,500 parts per million and summertime levels near 1,000 parts per million. The crew worked to manage the CO2 by occasionally turning on a CO₂ scrubber, activating and de-activating the desert and savannah through control of irrigation water, cutting and storing biomass to sequester carbon, and utilizing all potential planting areas with fast-growing species to increase system photosynthesis.^[59]

Many suspected the drop in oxygen was due to microbes in the soil.^{[citation needed]} The soils were selected to have enough carbon to provide for the plants of the ecosystems to grow from infancy to maturity, a plant mass increase of perhaps 20 tons (18,000 kg).^[61] The release rate of that soil carbon as carbon dioxide by respiration of soil microbes was an unknown that the Biosphere 2 experiment was designed to reveal. Subsequent research showed that Biosphere 2's farm soils had reached a more stable ratio of carbon and nitrogen, lowering the rate of CO2 release, by 1998.^[62]

The respiration rate was faster than the photosynthesis (possibly in part due to relatively low light penetration through the glazed structure and the fact that Biosphere 2 started with a small but rapidly increasing plant biomass) resulting in a slow decrease of oxygen. A mystery accompanied the oxygen decline: the corresponding increase in carbon dioxide did not appear. This concealed the underlying process until an investigation by Jeff Severinghaus and Wallace Broecker of Columbia University's Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory using isotopic analysis showed that carbon dioxide was reacting with exposed concrete inside Biosphere 2 to form calcium carbonate, thereby sequestering both carbon and oxygen.^[63]

So, Biosphere problems.

● Biosphere II - Intro

● Hours, Fees , Tours

● Directions, Contact

● 10 day weather forecast

But here is something else: Just as problems in a small “ecosystem” become obvious and even life-threatening, problems in social harmony can become equally apparent and significant.

In Russian space program, cosmonauts Georgi Grechko and Yuri Romanenko three months together in Salyut 6 space station, no other people present. Younger less experienced man named commander. Before lift-off, older one suggest how to get along. And was good idea: each do what he can without waiting no matter who supposed to do it. And no blaming the other if one did something wrong.

Is why I like Aura’s paradise idea where everybody does what they can when they can of what they think needs doing.