Astronaut Talks at Biosphere 2

Three astronauts from Japan and the U.S. will give talks open to University of Arizona faculty, staff and students about their training and space travel experiences on the evenings of August 6-8 starting at 8 p.m. at Biosphere 2, located at 32540 S. Biosphere Road in Oracle, Arizona.

The talks, given by astronauts Richard Linnehan, Kimiya Yui and Takao Doi, are part of the first official Space Camp Biosphere 2. Kyoto University ran the space camp for the past three years in Japan, but now, after receiving funding from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, they partnered with Biosphere 2 to facilitate and expand the program. Five students from Japan will join five students from around Arizona, including one from the UA, from a diverse pool of majors, demographics and colleges. At the camp, students will learn about Biosphere 2's diverse ecosystems and how they can be translated for use by humans in space. Students will experience hands-on earth and space systems research in the rainforest, ocean and desert biomes. They will also attend lectures by faculty from both universities and the three former astronauts.