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NASA Continues Advancing STEM for Students Through New Partnership
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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
NuCLEUS, developed by Interstellar Lab, is an autonomous system that grows microgreens, vegetables, and more for astronauts to eat in space.Interstellar Lab NASA invests in technologies that have the potential to revolutionize space exploration, including the way astronauts live in space. Through the Deep Space Food Challenge, NASA, in partnership with CSA (Canadian Space Agency), sought novel food production systems that could provide long-duration human space exploration missions with safe, nutritious, and tasty food. Three winners selected last summer are now taking their technology to new heights – figuratively and literally – through commercial partnerships.
Interstellar Lab of Merritt Island, Florida, won the challenge’s $750,000 grand prize for its food production system NuCLEUS (Nutritional Closed-Loop Eco-Unit System), by demonstrating an autonomous operation growing microgreens, vegetables, and mushrooms, as well as sustaining insects for use in an astronaut’s diet. To address the requirements of the NASA challenge, NuCLEUS includes an irrigation system that sustains crop growth with minimal human intervention. This end-to-end system supplies fresh ingredients to support astronauts’ health and happiness, with an eye toward what the future of dining on deep space missions to Mars and the Moon may look like.
Since the close of the challenge, Interstellar Lab has partnered with aerospace company Vast to integrate a spinoff of NuCLEUS, called Eden 1.0, on Haven-1, a planned commercial space station. Eden 1.0 is a plant growth unit designed to conduct research on plants in a microgravity environment using functions directly stemming from NuCLEUS.
“The NASA Deep Space Food Challenge was a pivotal catalyst for Interstellar Lab, driving us to refine our NuCLEUS system and directly shaping the development of Eden 1.0, setting the stage for breakthroughs in plant growth research to sustain life both in space and on Earth,” said Barbara Belvisi, founder and CEO of Interstellar Lab.
Fuanyi Fobellah, one of the “Simunauts” from The Ohio State University who tested food production technologies as part of the Deep Space Food Challenge, removes a cooked omelet from the SATED appliance.NASA/Savannah Bullard Team SATED (Safe Appliance, Tidy, Efficient & Delicious) of Boulder, Colorado, earned a $250,000 second prize for its namesake appliance, which creates an artificial gravitational force that presses food ingredients against its heated inner surface for cooking. The technology was developed by Jim Sears, who entered the contest as a one-person team and has since founded the small business SATED Space LLC.
At the challenge finale event, the technology was introduced to the team of world-renowned chef and restaurant owner, José Andrés. The SATED technology is undergoing testing with the José Andrés Group, which could add to existing space food recipes that include lemon cake, pizza, and quiche. The SATED team also is exploring partnerships to expand the list of ingredients compatible with the appliance, such as synthetic cooking oils safe for space.
Delicious food was a top priority in the Deep Space Food Challenge. Sears noted the importance of food that is more than mere sustenance. “When extremely high performance is required, and the situations are demanding, tough, and lonely, the thing that pulls it all together and makes people operate at their best is eating fresh cooked food in community.”
Team Nolux won a $250,000 second-place prize for its Nolux food system that uses artificial photosynthesis to grow ingredients that could be used by astronauts in space.OSU/CFAES/Kenneth Chamberlain Team Nolux, formed from faculty members, graduate, and undergraduate students from the University of California, Riverside, also won a $250,000 second prize for its artificial photosynthesis system. The Nolux system – whose name means “no light” – grows plant and fungal-based foods in a dark chamber using acetate to chemically stimulate photosynthesis without light, a capability that could prove valuable in space with limited access to sunlight.
Some members of the Nolux team are now commercializing select aspects of the technology developed during the challenge. These efforts are being pursued through a newly incorporated company focused on refining the technology and exploring market applications.
A competition inspired by NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge will open this fall.
Stay tuned for more information: https://www.nasa.gov/prizes-challenges-and-crowdsourcing/centennial-challenges/
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By Space Force
The Air Force Chaplain Corps wrapped up its annual summit, bringing together Religious Support Teams from across the Total Force to focus on spiritual readiness and alignment under the Chaplain Corps’ new motto: HC Ready!
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By NASA
The crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission pose for a photo during a training session.Credit: SpaceX NASA astronauts Michael Finke and Zena Cardman will connect with students in Minnesota as they answer prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) questions aboard the International Space Station.
The Earth-to-space call will begin at 11 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Aug. 20, and will stream live on the agency’s Learn With NASA YouTube channel.
Media interested in covering the event must RSVP by 5 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 19, to Elizabeth Ross at: 952-838-1340 or elizabeth.ross@pacer.org.
The PACER center will host this event in Bloomington for students in their Tech for Teens program. The organization aims to improve educational opportunities and enhance the quality of life for children and young adults with disabilities and their families. The goal of this event is to help educate and inspire teens with disabilities to consider opportunities in STEM fields.
For nearly 25 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.
Research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lay the groundwork for other agency missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars; inspiring Golden Age explorers and ensuring the United States continues to lead in space exploration and discovery.
See more information on NASA in-flight downlinks at:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
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Gerelle Dodson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
gerelle.q.dodson@nasa.gov
Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-511
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Aug 15, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
International Space Station (ISS) Artemis ISS Research STEM Engagement at NASA View the full article
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By NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
NASA now is accepting proposals from student teams for a contest to design, build, and test rovers for Moon and Mars exploration through Sept. 15.
Known as the Human Exploration Rover Challenge, student rovers should be capable of traversing a course while completing mission tasks. The challenge handbook has guidelines for remote-controlled and human-powered divisions.
The cover of the HERC 2026 handbook, which is now available online. “Last year, we saw a lot of success with the debut of our remote-controlled division and the addition of middle school teams,” said Vemitra Alexander, the activity lead for the challenge at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “We’re looking forward to building on both our remote-controlled and human-powered divisions with new challenges for the students, including rover automation.”
This year’s mission mimics future Artemis missions to the lunar surface. Teams are challenged to test samples of soil, water, and air from sites along a half-mile course that includes a simulated field of asteroid debris, boulders, erosion ruts, crevasses, and an ancient streambed. Human-powered rover teams will play the role of two astronauts in a lunar terrain vehicle and must use a custom-built task tool to manually collect samples needed for testing. Remote-controlled rover teams will act as a pressurized rover, and the rover itself will contain the tools necessary to collect and test samples onboard.
“NASA’s Human Exploration Rover Challenge creates opportunities for students to develop the skills they need to be successful STEM professionals,” said Alexander. “This challenge will help students see themselves in the mission and give them the hands-on experience needed to advance technology and become the workforce of tomorrow.”
Seventy-five teams comprised of more than 500 students participated in the agency’s 31st rover challenge in 2025. Participants represented 35 colleges and universities, 38 high schools, and two middle schools, across 20 states, Puerto Rico, and 16 nations around the world.
The 32nd annual competition will culminate with an in-person event April 9-11, 2026, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center near NASA Marshall.
The rover challenge is one of NASA’s Artemis Student Challenges, reflecting the goals of the Artemis campaign, which seeks to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, technology advancement, and to learn how to live and work on another world as we prepare for human missions to Mars. NASA uses such challenges to encourage students to pursue degrees and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Since its inception in 1994, more than 15,000 students have participated in the rover challenge – with many former students now working at NASA or within the aerospace industry.
To learn more about HERC, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/roverchallenge/
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Last Updated Aug 15, 2025 EditorBeth RidgewayLocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related Terms
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By NASA
A member of the space crop production team prepares materials for Veggie seed pillows inside the Space Systems Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. NASA/Cory S Huston When the Crew-11 astronauts launched to the International Space Station on August 1, 2025, they carried with them another chapter in space farming: the latest VEG-03 experiments, complete with seed pillows ready for planting.
Growing plants provides nutrition for astronauts, as well as psychological benefits that help maintain crew morale during missions.
During VEG-03 MNO, astronauts will be able to choose what they want to grow from a seed library including Wasabi mustard greens, Red Russian Kale, and Dragoon lettuce.
From Seed to Space Salad
The experiment takes place inside Veggie, a chamber about the size of carry-on luggage. The system uses red, blue, and green LED lights to provide the right spectrum for plant growth. Clear flexible bellows — accordion-like walls that expand to accommodate maturing plants — create a semi-controlled environment around the growing area.
Astronauts plant thin strips containing their selected seeds into fabric “seed pillows” filled with a special clay-based growing medium and controlled-release fertilizer. The clay, similar to what’s used on baseball fields, helps distribute water and air around the roots in the microgravity environment.
Crew members will monitor the plants, add water as needed, and document growth through regular photographs. At harvest time, astronauts will eat some of the fresh produce while freezing other samples for return to Earth, where scientists will analyze their nutritional content and safety.
How this benefits space exploration
Fresh food will become critical as astronauts venture farther from Earth on missions to the Moon and Mars. NASA aims to validate different kinds of crops to add variety to astronaut diets during long-duration space exploration missions, while giving crew members more control over what they grow and eat.
How this benefits humanity
The techniques developed for growing crops in space’s challenging conditions may also improve agricultural practices on Earth. Indoor crop cultivation approaches similar to what astronauts do in Veggie might also be adapted for horticultural therapy programs, giving elderly or disabled individuals new ways to experience gardening when traditional methods aren’t accessible.
Related Resources
VEG-03 MNO on the Space Station Research Explorer
Veggie Vegetable Product System
Veggie Plant Growth System Activated on International Space Station
About BPS
NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division pioneers scientific discovery and enables exploration by using space environments to conduct investigations not possible on Earth. Studying biological and physical phenomenon under extreme conditions allows researchers to advance the fundamental scientific knowledge required to go farther and stay longer in space, while also benefitting life on Earth.
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