Lord Young of Dartington and the Argo Venture

Although best known for his political and social achievements, the late Lord Young was also an early advocate of space exploration and cooperation. This article describes his proposal for a simulated Mars habitation, the ‘Argo Venture’, and the steps that were taken to try and bring it about. Although financial support was ultimately withdrawn in the face of the US Biosphere 2 project, a number of current Mars-related projects suggest that the Argo Venture is not entirely forgotten.