Four men and four women were picked up to spend two years inside a two - story sealed dome intended to be a microcosm of Earth . Known as Dome II , the giant terrarium aims for a December start . It will resemble a space colony tethered to Earth ( Biosphere II ) and serve as a prototype for sustaining life outside the Earth . The crew 's world inside will consist of various ecological regions including a human city of apartments , laboratory , office , and recreational facilities . The privately financed $30 million project aims for a December start. Created by Texas Financier Edwin Bass , the experiment is intended to show ways of responding to environmental problems ; e.g. , pollution .
Four men and four women were picked up to spend two years inside a two - story sealed dome intended to be a microcosm of Earth . Known as Dome II , the giant terrarium aims for a December start . It will resemble a space colony tethered to Earth ( Biosphere II ) and serve as a prototype for sustaining life outside the Earth . The crew 's world inside will consist of various ecological regions including a human city of apartments , laboratory , office , and recreational facilities . Created by Texas Financier Edwin Bass , the experiment is intended to show ways of responding to environmental problems ; e.g. , pollution .