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What changes were made before the second Biosphere 2 mission began?
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Biosphere 2
Biosphere 2, located in Oracle, Arizona, U.S., shown in 2008. The facility was originally developed to study survivability and assess whether humans were capable of building and living in self-sustaining colonies in outer space. It was later used as a scientific research facility.
Before the second mission of Biosphere 2 began on March 6, 1994, several modifications were implemented to address the challenges encountered during the first mission. These changes included:
- System Engineering: Various upgrades and improvements were made to the facility's engineering systems to better support the environment and the crew.1
- Ecological Additions: Additional species were introduced into both the ecosystem and agricultural areas to improve the balance and productivity of the biomes.1
These adjustments were intended to rectify issues such as the food production shortfalls and atmospheric instability—specifically the drop in oxygen and rise in carbon dioxide—that had plagued the initial two-year experiment.1