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Environmental Simulators for Experimental Ecopoiesis. P. Todd1, P. J. Boston2, H. Platt1, G. W. Metz1.  1SHOT, Inc., Greenville, IN, 2Center for Cave and Karst Studies, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM.

    The major issues of planetary biology consist of searching for life, planetary protection, environmental life support for human visitors and terraforming.  A potential sequel to the first three is terraforming, the conversion of a planetary surface to earth-like conditions hospitable to Earth life. A subset of terraforming is ecopoiesis, the early development of a living ecosystem.  Despite approximately two decades of public discussion there has been little or no experimental research focusing on ecopoiesis.  Initially, small experiments with terrestrial organisms in a planetary (Mars-like) environment are required.  To facilitate such experiments an affordable Mars Atmosphere and Regolith Simulation Laboratory Test Bed (MARS-LTB) has been designed and is under construction.  Its robotic controls can be programmed to effect a Mars night and day cycle at a variety of simulated latitudes with temperature swings between -165oC and +26oC at a pressure around 10 mbar in an atmosphere with composition resembling that of Mars. The chamber is about 4 liters in volume and contains about 1 kg of regolith simulant.  The regolith and atmosphere can be sampled with minimum disturbance to the contained environment.  As an adjunct to the Laboratory Test Bed a portable Modular Test Bed (MARS-MTB) has been designed for distribution to research laboratories and educational institutions ("Mars Jars"). 

(Supported by NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts, subcontract 07605-003-020 under contract NAS5-03110 between Universities Space Research Association and NASA).