Botanist Linda Leigh will exit Thanksgiving afternoon from 21 days inside an airtight, 17,000 cubic foot glass and steel structure, a test module for Biosphere II, a $30 million project under construction. Eight people will be placed inside a much larger sealed structure for two years to determine whether humans can duplicate Earth's life systems for possible use in space. She says the only thing she misses is companionship, but she is otherwise content being in frequent contact with the outside support team by telephone, video, radio, and just looking through the glass window. Her colleagues serenaded her with ``Happy Birthday'' by video and directed her to gifts hidden in her living area. The first person to live on Mars may not even have been born yet.
Botanist Linda Leigh will exit Thanksgiving afternoon from 21 days inside an airtight, 17,000 cubic foot glass and steel structure, a test module for Biosphere II, a $30 million project under construction. Eight people will be placed inside a much larger sealed structure for two years to determine whether humans can duplicate Earth's life systems for possible use in space. She says the only thing she misses is companionship, but she is otherwise content being in frequent contact with the outside support team by telephone, video, radio, and just looking through the glass window. The first person to live on Mars may not even have been born yet.