Interstellar Lab's Biopod looks like something out of Surviving Mars. It's an inflatable dome that can control climate and oxygen, and can house plant life in what they call a "super-evolved autonomous greenhouse." [In an interview with Wired (opens in new tab), Barbara Bervisi, CEO of Interstellar Labs (opens in new tab), said the whole point of Biopod is to combat food shortages, whether here on Earth or in places like the moon, where there is no food at all, by "for life The idea is to "create the perfect climatic and atmospheric conditions for life" to combat food shortages, whether here on Earth or in places like the moon where there is no food at all.

The venture capitalist said he "had to learn a lot about aerospace, life support, agriculture, and architecture" to start the company, which is made up of former employees of SpaceX, Tesla, and Disney. On the company's website (opens in new tab), she predicts that in five years "mankind will return to the moon, and this time we will stay."

Interstellar Labs is building a full-scale prototype in France that will attempt to grow rare plants that require very specific environmental conditions for growth. The earth version of Biopod is equipped with hydroponics and hydroponics equipment on top of a compound base. Water can be recycled and a transparent dome is used as a filter for sunlight. Additionally, it is equipped with an airlock and air conditioning system.

In June, the company assembled its first actual Biopod. It is just over 36 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 16 feet high. However, the company unveiled a smaller version of the pod concept, called "Baby Dome," at the 2020 Mars Society Virtual Convention (open in new tab).

Everything is monitored through AI, which adjusts environmental settings based on plant growth processes and predicts the potential yield of each crop.

As far as space colonization is concerned, future plans include the ability to rotate and connect a series of modular Biopods designed for different applications, such as waste disposal or housing for colonists, etc. Belvisi told Wired that the company has been working with a company that has developed a CO2 from the air and wastewater.

However, Biopod will not be making space voyages anytime soon. That's because Interstellar Labs is in the process of building a device light enough and durable enough to withstand space travel. They currently have dozens of pre-orders from agricultural, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics companies.

Interstellar Labs is also working on a prototype stand-alone capsule for low Earth orbit for NASA and a prototype inflatable module for attachment to the International Space Station. And if you want a state-of-the-art automated greenhouse for growing rare and exotic plants, BioPod pre-orders (opens in new tab) start at $250,000.