Interstellar Lab unveils "BioPod" - a living simulator on the Moon and Mars

The system created with Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform simulates a self-sustaining food production system, furthering Interstellar Lab's mission to produce and recycle food, water, and air to support sustainable life on Earth, the Moon, and Mars

Dassault Systèmes announced that Interstellar Lab, a research company that creates controlled biological habitats and environments, as a closed cage for the production and circulation of food, water and air, used the 3DEXPERIENCE cloud platform to effectively design and develop its first prototype, the BioPod. A food production system, in this controlled environment, advances its mission to build space-ready stations containing infrastructure and resources to support sustainable human life on Earth, the Moon, and Mars.

Interstellar Lab used the "Reinvent the Sky" industry solutions experience based on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to continuously collaborate, optimize and rapidly validate its designs. In a single digital environment that provides secure and immediate access to the latest project data from anywhere and anytime, team members in France and the US combined their expertise and used a virtual twin to simulate and test the performance of the BioPod structure in extreme climates, and the performance of its biological systems such as the optimal levels of oxygen , the carbon dioxide and light intensities needed by plants to grow.

"Climate change is a real emergency for the planet and we only have a small window of opportunity to bring about positive change. We are developing a new framework for sustainable life on Earth, and for diagnosing future space missions," said Barbara Belvisi, Founder and CEO, Interstellar Lab. "The 3DEXPERIENCE platform allows us to work very efficiently and a way to avoid the need to redo designs from scratch. As we progress to the next level, the software and project management capabilities of the platform are invaluable to us for storing and retrieving design knowledge and effective management of the product life cycle."

BioPod is an inflatable dome 6 meters wide, 10 meters long, and 4.5 meters high with a solid technical base and soft plastic membranes for the main and outer shell made of composite materials. It is designed to revolutionize food production by combining advanced crop processing technology with predictive monitoring to grow a wide variety of crops and plants that would not survive in a traditional indoor agricultural setup.

In further development of the BioPod, Interstellar Lab will use the virtual twin to experience and monitor the dome's operations and maintenance, and collect data regarding food production and the environment. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform will also streamline communication with suppliers as the company designs future modules and ramps up manufacturing and outsourcing, and will enable Interstellar Lab to produce photorealistic renderings of the XNUMXD model of the BioPod to share its vision.

"Innovative companies are shaking up traditional industrial dynamics in the race to explore space with new concepts that are defining the future of aviation systems," said David Ziegler, Vice President, Aviation, Space and Defense, Dassault Systèmes. "The 3DEXPERIENCE platform allows them to integrate technology in product development and accelerate the product life cycle from the concept stage to certification using the same tools used by larger companies, without the overhead. They can use virtual twin experiences to optimize their ideas, gain a critical first-to-market advantage, and introduce more sustainable ways of living and exploring.”

Interstellar Lab develops and builds sustainable closed-loop living systems on Earth and in space. The company focuses on creating food production systems, and living environment modules for humans at the level required for use in space. on Earth, to provide solutions regarding the current climate crisis and the need for new food production systems. In space, by developing closed-loop life support systems for missions on the moon as part of NASA's Artemis program and in the future for Mars exploration.