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Occupy Mars

Kit Overview

The “MARS LANDING SURVIVAL KIT” from WILD! Science is true Space Age Science. No, it is NOT A TOY! The fertilizer is GROSS! but the BIODOME HYDROPONIC systems turn it into PURE WATER and FOOD! The PLANTS are real, you can EAT them. The LAB GEAR – is REAL. The GAS and ACID INDICATORS are REAL. And the FUN IS OUT OF THIS WORLD. Hours, weeks and months of EXPERIMENTING AND FUN!

  • Age Group: 8+
  • Branches of Science: Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Life Science
  • Kit Code: WS/32XL
  • Occupy Mars Details & FAQS

The “MARS LANDING SURVIVAL KIT” from WILD! Science is true Space Age Science. No, it is NOT A TOY! Plant your first seeds in Bare Sand enriched with Hydrogel Crystals. Yes, the Digested Waste is totally gross, but the Biodome Hydroponic systems and Capillary Filters turn it into clean Plant Nutrients! As the real plants grow, they absorb poisonous CO2, and make OXYGEN you can breathe, FOOD that you can eat and PURE WATER by transpiration! Any leftovers go back to the Waste Digester and the cycle starts again. You can even Clone plants! The lab gear – is real. The GAS, WATER and UV Testing Indicators are real. And the FUN is out of this world. Hours, weeks and months of EXPERIMENTING AND FUN!

See Occupy Mars FAQ's
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Occupy Mars help

Occupy Mars FAQ's

First, make sure that one end of the wick is actually at the bottom of the drainage tank.
Secondly – it is possible that your sand was not very damp when you put it in the gardens and that the sand and the water crystals have absorbed all the water from the wick that came through the gardens. All you need to do is to refill the tank with water pretty near to the top. The siphon effects will start quite quickly and you should see the gardens getting wetter within 20 minutes or so. Then the drainage tank will start to fill. It sounds like your water crystals are ‘full’, so most of the water should come through to the drainage tank.
If your gardens ‘flood’ – tip out the water in the main tank and empty the drainage crater until you get just the right wetness in the gardens. You can learn how to regulate flow by looking at the tips in the booklet.

A strong smell can sometimes occur in the first week, especially if there is excess moisture or if plant material begins to break down in a low-oxygen environment. This is normal in closed growing systems and can be improved by opening the dome briefly each day for fresh air, removing any dead plant matter, and reducing watering.

Yellowing leaves on radishes are also common and are usually caused by too much water or low light. We recommend placing the kit in a bright location and allowing the growing medium to dry slightly before the next watering.

With these small adjustments, the system should stabilize, and the plants should recover. Please let us know if you continue to have any concerns.

For more information:

Most likely the bad smell is caused by

  1. Anaerobic decomposition in the nutrient/waste system
    From the instructions, the kit includes:
  • organic matter (plant waste, roots, dead leaves)
  • standing water in a closed or semi-closed biome
  • warm conditions

When oxygen is limited, bacteria break down organic matter anaerobically, producing sulfur-like, rotten smells.
This is very common in closed garden experiments and is not dangerous, but unpleasant.

  1. Overwatering/water not draining properly
    The kit relies on:
  • sand layers
  • wick flow
  • gravity-fed drainage

If:

  • The sand is too compacted
  • the wick is clogged
  • too much water is added

water stagnates, oxygen drops, smell develops.

Why are the radish leaves turning yellow?

This is very common and usually not a failure.

Likely reasons:

  1. Overwatering
    • Roots lack oxygen
    • Leaves yellow first
  2. Nutrient imbalance
    • Early-stage seedlings often yellow before stabilizing
    • Especially in artificial soil systems
  3. Low light
    • Instructions recommend a sunny window or grow light
    • Insufficient light causes pale or yellow leaves

Yes — this can happen, especially in the first 1–2 weeks.

Closed or semi-closed “biosphere” style kits are designed to show real-world challenges, including:

  • waste buildup
  • water management
  • plant stress

This is actually consistent with the educational goal of the kit.

What can you do to help:

To reduce the smell

  1. Open the dome for ventilation, 10–15 minutes once per day.
  2. Remove any dead or rotting plant material.
  3. Reduce watering, let the soil/sand become just damp, not wet.
  4. Check the wick, make sure it is not blocked.

To help the radishes

  1. Move the kit to a brighter location.
  2. Avoid adding more nutrients for now.
  3. Allow better drainage before the next watering.
  4. Be patient — new growth may appear green again.