This session will explore the role of plants in space exploration, the challenges of space cultivation, and techniques for growing crops in low-Earth orbit. Jessica will discuss growing plants on the Moon as a foundation for a sustainable human presence and the unique challenges of the lunar environment. Her research tackles these challenges by transforming hostile lunar regolith into a viable growing medium for crops. Producing crops in these extreme environments supports life in space and provides insights to advance re-generative agriculture and sustainable farming practices on Earth.

Jessica Atkin is a graduate researcher in space biology, focusing on lunar agriculture. Her Ph.D. studies are funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through the Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) program, supporting her work addressing the challenges of growing plants in lunar regolith, the Moon’s dust-like material. During her time with NASA, she conducted microbiology research and contributed to efforts to send plants to the Moon as part of the Artemis III mission. Her research addresses food production challenges in space, focusing on bioregenerative solutions that benefit both space exploration and sustainable agriculture on Earth.

Dr. Pierson is a senior professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University. Her areas of research include plant-microbe interactions, biological control of plant diseases, root system biology and ecology, and sustainable agriculture. Currently, she is working with Jessica on applying principles of plant-microbe interactions on Earth to the cultivation of healthy horticultural crops in space.