#022: Space Analog for the Moon and Mars - Kai Staats

08/15/23 • 66 min

In this episode we are joined by Kai Staats. Kai is a veteran developer, designer, filmmaker, and scientist. Kai is the Director of SAM, Space Analog for the Moon and Mars, here at Biosphere 2. SAM is a hi-fidelity, hermetically sealed Mars habitat analog with greenhouse, living quarters, airlock, pressure suits, and a half acre Mars yard. Since 2021 Kai and his team have been constructing SAM, and just last month, SAM hosted it’s first two sealed missions, Inclusion 1 and Inclusion 2.

Prior to SAM, Kai was co-founder and CEO of the world-renowned Yellow Dog Linux operating system for ten years. The YDL platform was used extensively in Department of Energy, NASA, and University research across a full spectrum of sciences. Kai also designed and developed iConji, an icon-based language for international communication. Further, he wrote the machine learning algorithm Karoo GP which has been used at LIGO for classification of glitches and supernovae. Kai was principal designer of the Mt. Meru Astronomical Observatory in Tanzania, the first of its kind in East Africa. At Arizona State University Kai led the development of SIMOC, a research-grade computer simulation and educational interface hosted by National Geographic that enables citizen scientists to explore the complexity of a human habitat on Mars.

In this podcast, Kai takes us on his journey to build SAM. Breaking down the inspiration for SAM’s creation, and the research goals for SAM’s future.

In this podcast, Kai takes us on his journey to build SAM. Breaking down the inspiration for SAM’s creation, and the research goals for SAM’s future.

Previous Episode

#021: Microbial Ecology - Dr. Steve Allison

In this episode we are joined by microbial ecologist and climate scientist, Dr. Steve Allison. Dr. Allison is a Professor of Ecology in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at University of California Irvine. He holds a PhD in Biological Sciences from Stanford University and in 2013, Dr. Allison was named an Early Career Fellow of the Ecological Society of America. His research addresses the resilience of microbial communities to drought and climate change in southern California ecosystems. His lab studies how microbes function in ecosystems by using both experiments and mathematical models to predict what might happen to microbes as the climate gets warmer and drier. Steve talks about micro-biomes, climate change, and how his lab group studies microbial communities in a variety of field sites across California with a focus on climate and drought. https://allisonlab.bio.uci.edu/

Next Episode

#023: The Biosphere 2 Lung - Bill Dempster

Today we are joined by Bill Dempster. From 1985 to 1994, Bill Dempster served as the Director of Systems Engineering and chief engineer for Space Biospheres Ventures, the company responsible for designing and building Biosphere 2. As Systems Engineer, Bill was responsible for managing the integrity of Biosphere 2’s atmospheric seal. This role included leading the design and development of the Biosphere 2 Lung and leading a crucial leak testing campaign required for sealing the structure. After his time at Biosphere 2, Bill went on to serve as the President of the Institute of Ecotechnics, a London-based international ecological development institute where he’s continued to engage in systems engineering projects around the world.

In our conversation, Bill reminisces on the construction and design phase of Biosphere 2, shedding light on his team's engineering triumphs and challenges in constructing the world’s largest closed system experiment. Without further ado, here is Bill Dempster.