Winston-Salem State University, a historically Black educational institution in North Carolina, has recently partnered with Odyssey, a space science and operations firm, and Aisha Bowe, a rocket scientist and entrepreneur, to launch the university’s first suborbital spaceflight experiment.
On the Blue Origin NS-31 mission to space this spring, Bowe will conduct an experiment led by students and faculty at Winston-Salem State University’s Astrobotany Lab. The project will investigate how crop plants respond to microgravity at the molecular level, advancing sustainable space agriculture and food security on Earth.
“This experiment is about world-class research that benefits both space and life on Earth,” said Bowe. “WSSU’s Astrobotany Lab is shaping the future of sustainable agriculture beyond our planet, and I’m honored to support their groundbreaking work.”
Housed within Winston-Salem State University’s department of biological sciences, the Astrobotany Lab is the only space plant biology lab at an HBCU and the only HBCU lab with a Space Act Agreement with the NASA Kennedy Space Center Crop Production Team.
“This collaboration ensures that HBCU students are not just participants but leaders in space science,” said Bonita Brown, chancellor of Winston-Salem State University. “Winston-Salem State University is committed to breaking barriers, and this mission is a testament to the critical role that HBCUs play in advancing space research and preparing our students to lead the future of exploration.”
