https://gimletmedia.com/shows/the-habitat
The podcast was an interesting big brother style reality show depicting 6 people living inside a potential Mars habitat for a year as research for NASA. Descriptions sound very similar. May want to listen to the podcast before you volunteer :-)
"Biosphere 2 was only used twice for its original intended purposes as a closed-system experiment: once from 1991 to 1993, and the second time from March to September 1994. Both attempts, though heavily publicized, ran into problems including low amounts of food and oxygen, die-offs of many animals and plants included in the experiment (though this was anticipated since the project used a strategy of deliberately 'species-packing' anticipating losses as the biomes developed), group dynamic tensions among the resident crew, outside politics and a power struggle over management and direction of the project."
The core issue with the design was actually concrete absorbing Oxygen from the interior air. That’s exactly the kind of issue you want to consider if we ever want to actually make sustainable habitats. Unfortunately, they never tried to make a biosphere 3, but I suspect that would have been far less ambitious yet more successful.
Years later, in the Army, I was struck by how similar the permanent living structures at the National Training Center are to those at Biosphere II. At least structurally. The students get real rooms whereas we got cots and tape on the floor. Another thing that struck me at NTC was how similar the landscape looked to any pictures I've ever seen of Mars. If NASA wants maximum fidelity, don't just put these people in a closed room, but do it underground in Death Valley.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/11/hi-seas-...
The podcast was pretty entertaining and enlightening, and not too long. 6 (untrained) people in close quarters and isolation for a long time seems a recipe for mayhem. I know astronauts do long stints but they're trained and supported by people who share their purpose.