There are plenty of companies sharing the same vision of migrating human beings to Mars, with Elon Musk being one the most vocal advocates. For now, though, we are still waiting for the very first manned mission to Mars to realise. Perhaps this is why French startup Interstellar Lab decides to develop and build space-inspired villages, on earth.

The EBIOS project — short for “Experimental Bio-Regenerative Station” — is all about living like a spaceman but on a planet that we are familiar with. The closed-loop villages are under a controlled environment and are completely self-sufficient. Using technologies that are already available, the team is confident to create a habitat with zero carbon footprint and a system including water treatment, waste management and food production.

Interstellar Lab intends to build EBIOS in the Mojave Desert, California in 2021, imaging a 70,000 square metre space that accommodates 105 people. EBIOS is not just for scientists and researchers. Half of the year these living spaces will be open to the public so anyone could book and experience what living in space would be like.