Internationally Connected Plant Biology as an Enabler for Bioregenerative Life Support of Long-Term Space Missions
As ambitions to live beyond low Earth orbit become more tangible in the Artemis era, we need enabling technologies that allow humans to survive and thrive remote from Earth. On our planet, ecosystems depend on plants as primary producers. Plants underpin food webs and can supply humans with food, oxygen, clean water, pharmaceuticals, fibres and materials, as well as opportunities for interaction that support behavioural health.
The International Space Life Sciences Working Group (ISLSWG) Plants for Space Exploration and Earth Applications workshop, held at the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA) conference in September 2024, gathered a collective vision outlining priorities associated with plant science to support a new frontier of human existence.
Our poster at COSPAR 2026 follows on from that workshop.
Download the poster here, or view our full COSPAR schedule here.
Further Reading
Crop Readiness Level (CRL) Framework: Space Crop Considerations for Human Exploration
Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS): Critical investments in bioregenerative life support systems for bioastronautics and sustainable lunar exploration
Food systems perspective: From production to food systems: A systems-level review of drivers, requirements, and integration for Lunar and Martian food systems
About InSPIRE
InSPIRE is an informal and unofficial network currently consisting of researchers and executives from universities, research institutes, government agencies and industry from North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australasia; representation from Africa is welcomed.
Members:
Chiara Amitrano, Richard J Barker, Elison B Blancaflor, Giorgio Boscheri, Nicholas Brereton, Jess M Bunchek, Markus Braun, Nicol Caplin, Cho Byoung-Kwan, Marta Del Bianco, Mélanie Decourteix, Veronica De Micco, Colleen Doherty, Alessandra Pereira Fávero, Luke L Fountain, Sigfredo Fuentes, Ralph Fritsche, Matthew Gilliham, Simon Gilroy, Karl H Hasenstein, Jens Hauslage, Raúl Herranz, Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi, Dylan Izuma, John Z Kiss, Kirima Junya, Nathalie Leblanc-Fournier, Valérie Legué, James Lloyd, Cesare Lobascio, Massimo Emilio Maffei, Gioia Massa, Impara Perera, Lucie Poulet, Suruchi Roychoudhry, Giovanni Sena, Annie Shelton, Jared Stoochnoff, Hideyuki Takahashi
About Plants for Space
The ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space (P4S) is using the lens of space to transform the sustainability of food and bioresource production on Earth and beyond.
We bring together expertise across plant biology, systems and process engineering, food chemistry, psychology, education and law to create world-leading research impact.
To learn more, read our latest Annual Report or reach out for a conversation with our team!