Free. Kits at cost.
- Length
- 6 weeks.
- Price
- Free; no kit required (optional algae jar build, EST under $20).
Outcomes.
Explain why closed loops are hard; compute basic life-support numbers; compare plant, algae, electrolysis and MOXIE oxygen options; describe planetary defense; write a sourced design brief for a long-duration habitat.
Weeks.
| Week | Topic | Facts used |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Why “billion-year” plans point off Earth | Sun brightening; most models end Earth’s oceans about 1 billion years out [EST, range 0.5 to 1.5 billion] |
| 2 | Closed-loop lessons: Biosphere 2 | O2 fell from 20.9% to about 14.5% in 16 months (AGU Eos, 1994) |
| 3 | Water and air | ISS recovers 98% of water (NASA, 2023); 0.84 kg O2 per person per day (NASA BVAD) |
| 4 | Biology that closes loops | Lunar Palace 365: 370 days, 98.2% closure; BIOS-3 Chlorella; ESA MELiSSA |
| 5 | Making oxygen elsewhere; planetary defense | MOXIE 122 g total, 12 g/h peak; DART shortened Dimorphos’s orbit about 33 min; Hera arrives Dec 2026 |
| 6 | The Ten Stars mission as a design challenge | Student briefs: a “homestead with no outside” |
Hands-on build.
No kit required (optional algae jar build, EST under $20).
Research deliverable.
A 2-page sourced habitat design brief (oxygen, water, food, spares, people trained per loop) for the Foundation’s Future Studies library.
About the Ten Stars mission.
The Perlas Foundation’s long-range aspiration that people and AI learn together well enough to one day reach ten star systems. It is labeled ASPIRATION, not a forecast; the measurable goals are near-term (skills, research, and institutions that last 100 years).
Scholarships for kits are based on need, merit, portfolio and service, never on photos or looks. All courses.