BIOS-3 is an experimental

closed ecosystem Closed ecological systems (CES) are ecosystems that do not rely on matter exchange with any part outside the system. The term is most often used to describe small, manmade ecosystems. Such systems are scientifically interesting and can potentia ...

at the Institute of Biophysics in

Krasnoyarsk Krasnoyarsk ( ; rus, Красноя́рск, a=Ru-Красноярск2.ogg, p=krəsnɐˈjarsk) (in semantic translation - Red Ravine City) is the largest city and administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It is situated along the Yeni ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

. Its construction began in 1965, and was completed in 1972. BIOS-3 consists of a underground steel structure suitable for up to three persons, and was initially used for developing closed ecological human life-support ecosystems. It was divided into 4 compartments, one of which is a crew area. The crew area consists of 3 single-cabins, a galley, lavatory and control room. Initially one other compartment was an algal cultivator, and the other two 'phytotrons' for growing wheat or vegetables. The plants growing in the two 'phytotrons' contributed approximately 25% of the air filtering in the compound. Later the algal cultivator was converted into a third phytotron. A level of light comparable to sunlight was supplied in each of the 4 compartments by 20 kW xenon lamps, cooled by water jackets. The facility used 400 kW of electricity, supplied by a nearby hydroelectric power station.

Chlorella ''Chlorella'' is a genus of about thirteen species of single-celled green algae belonging to the division Chlorophyta. The cells are spherical in shape, about 2 to 10 μm in diameter, and are without flagella. Their chloroplasts contain the ...

algae were used to recycle air breathed by humans, absorbing

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...

and replenishing it with

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as wel ...

through

photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored i ...

. The algae were cultivated in stacked tanks under artificial light. To achieve a balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide, one human needed of exposed Chlorella. Air was purified of more complex organic compounds by heating to in the presence of a catalyst. Water and nutrients were stored in advance and were also recycled. By 1968, system efficiency had reached 85% by recycling water. Dried meat was imported into the facility, and urine and feces were generally dried and stored, rather than being recycled. BIOS-3 facilities were used to conduct 10 manned closure experiments with a one to three man crew. The longest experiment with a three-man crew lasted 180 days (in 1972-1973). The facilities were used for the tests at least until 1984. In 1986, Dr.

Josef Gitelson Josef (Joseph or Iosif) Isaevich Gitelson (russian: Ио́сиф Иса́евич Гительзо́н); (6 July 1928 – 25 September 2022) was a Soviet and Russian biophysicist. PhD in biology (1955), DrSc in medicine (1961), Professor, Memb ...

, head of the Institute of Biophysics (IBP) at Krasnoyarsk and developer of

biospherics The biosphere (from Greek βίος ''bíos'' "life" and σφαῖρα ''sphaira'' "sphere"), also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος ''oîkos'' "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be ...

as well the BIOS project, met with Oleg Gazenko, Mark Nelson, John Allen and others involved with

Biosphere 2 Biosphere 2 is an American Earth system science research facility located in Oracle, Arizona. Its mission is to serve as a center for research, outreach, teaching, and lifelong learning about Earth, its living systems, and its place in the univers ...

, which led to further cooperation. In 1989, a group from Biosphere 2 visited BIOS-3 facilities. Mark Nelson and John Allen have acknowledged the importance of BIOS-3 and Russian insights to Biosphere 2. In 1991, BIOS-3 became a part of the International Center for Closed Ecosystems, which was formed as a subdivision of Institute of Biophysics,

Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; russian: Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (РАН) ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across t ...

, Siberian Branch. Closed ecosystems research focusing on growing plants and recycling waste was resumed in 2005 in cooperation with

European Space Agency , owners = , headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France , coordinates = , spaceport = Guiana Space Centre , seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png , seal_size = 130px , image = Views in the Main Control Room (1205 ...

References

External links

* * {{ cite web , url = http://www.ibp.ru/labs/mc.php , title = International Center for Closed Ecosystems (in Russian) * Gitelson, Iosef I., and Genry M. Lisovsky
"Creation of closed ecological life support systems: Results, critical problems and potentials."
(2008).
BIOS-3 facility as a part of the BIOSMHARS (BIOcontamination Specific Modelling in HAbitats Related to Space) project
Controlled ecological life support systems Ecological experiments Science and technology in the Soviet Union Human analog missions

See also

References

External links