The suite of engineering and ecological techniques used to create, maintain, and repair closed, self-sustaining life-support systems—essentially, building and managing miniature, functional planets in a
bottle. This goes beyond life support to creating complex, resilient ecosystems that recycle
air,
water, and waste, and produce food, all in the deadly vacuum of space or on a barren world. It'
s the art of playing god with ecology on a small, precise scale for human survival.
*Example: The life support
system of the Biosphere 2 experiment, the proposed sealed ecosystems for a generation starship, or the planned regenerative food-and-
air cycles for a
Mars base are all applications of Biosphere Technologies. It's about engineering not just machines, but entire, balanced, living worlds-in-miniature.*