Spaceship Earth is a documentary on the Biosphere 2 project in the early 1990s. The film shows the background of the project and its goal. As humanity sees the threat of climate change and limited resources on Biosphere 1 (a.k.a Earth), a group of scientists see sustainability through space expansion and space colonization. As a result, eight scientists decide to create a fully sustainable earth environment in a sealed off dome which, if successful, could be a model for humanity to use for space colonization.
Spaceship Earth is a fascinating look into what could be the future of humankind, sparking interest into a more sustainable world. At the time of the experiment, climate change was not really too big a deal. However, as humanity faces the challenges of overpopulation, limited resources, and pollution, this film now seems to be more relevant than ever. The work done in the Biosphere 2 project may have been ahead of its time, but the information and stories of the people surrounding the project have showcased not only the struggles and hurdles of replicating our earth but also the preciousness of the wellness of our planet.
Personally, I enjoyed the film greatly. The documentary made what I think was the right decision by not only showing the project, but the members within the experiment and their backgrounds and stories. What’s more, it was also interesting to hear their opinion of the experiment today, almost 30 years later. Even so, what really makes the story so great (and a bit bizarre) is that an experiment of this scale and magnitude on the human race was not conducted solely by a group of scientists or professionals but rather a group of people born from San Francisco?s anti-establishment counterculture scene of the late 1960s. You?d think sticking eight (arguably very unqualified) people in a biosphere, asking them to solve a major space exploration problem while, at the same time, asking them to try to not die would be ridiculous. But that?s exactly what makes the film so entertaining to watch. Despite their obvious shortcomings, their ingenuity and lust for innovation is a testament to the human spirit.
Overall, I recommend Spaceship Earth. It?s a documentary that will only get more relevant as time progresses as humanity must face the challenges of space colonization and climate change. Biosphere 2 may have been ahead of its time, but what Spaceship Earth has to say to this generation is perfect for today.?
Spaceship Earth is available on demand on May 8th, 2020.
